Antiquary and collector.
Born Lancashire. Although he never married there are letters making it clear that this was not for lack of interest in the ladies. His collection of antiquaries was freely available for viewing and became renowned, being recommended in the Rough Guides of the day. There is a painting by Zoffany of Townley surrounded by his collection in the library at the house that he had built at what is now 14 Queen Anne's Gate. This is where he died. Much of his collection went to the, relatively new, British Museum, of which he had been a trustee.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Charles Townley
Commemorated ati
Charles Townley
Greater London Council Charles Townley, 1737 - 1805, antiquary and collector...
Other Subjects
British Library
16 years between the laying of the foundation stone in 1982 and the opening in 1998. The Independent explains the delay: "The reason it has taken so long to build ... has relatively little to do w...
3 memorials
Thomas Grenville
Bibliophile and politician. He was commissioned briefly in the Coldstream Guards, and served as a member of parliament from 1780 to 1810. He started collecting books from an early age, and by his d...
Person, Armed Forces, Museums / Libraries, Politics & Administration
1 memorial
Frederic David Mocatta
Tycoon and philantropist.  Born London into a Jewish family who came to England from Spain in the 1650s.  Married but childless.  Worked in the family gold-dealing business until 1874 when he gave ...
1 memorial
Frederick Horniman
Tea merchant, benefactor and politician. Born Frederick John Horniman at Bridgwater, Somerset. He inherited his father's tea business, which by 1891 was described as the biggest tea firm in the wor...
Person, Benefactor, Commerce, Museums / Libraries, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, India, Sri Lanka
3 memorials
Major Ernest Edward Austen, DSO
Ernest Edward Austen was born in 1867 in Dalston, Middlesex (now Greater London), the eldest of the five children of Ambrose Austen (1838-1924) and Eliza Burnet Austen née Smith (1839-1916). His bi...
War served, Other war
1 memorial
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