Having said in Ch.1 that I’ll repeat the TREE entries for easier reading, I won’t need to do so here, because it’s all readable in my exhibit, the “Visitation of Warwickshire in 1682-83", p. 13. (The title reference of our hero Robert as ‘of Childesmore by Coventry’ will be explained later.) The several ‘Visitations’ on record appear to arise from census-taking of prominent families, initiated by the Crown. One feels compelled to respect their accuracy even though ‘Townshend’ gets 3 different spellings on the one page!

The significant point to me was that its detailed treatment for Robert is found virtually unchanged on the Tree of Rings. It is also revealing that the first 3 generations in the Townshend Tree appear to have been recorded in 1682, the year of the Visitation noted. Obviously the Visitation data was used as the tree’s source of details. It’s worth noting that the page focussed on Robert includes a cross-reference to his Grant of Arms.

I have another exhibit illustrating what data was assembled hundreds of years ago - this being p.57 of Le Neve’s ‘Pedigree of the Knights - 1660 to 1714’. In the days before easy copying, a handwritten copy of my Neve exhibit was made by (I think) Susan’s grandmother Clara, and was found amongst Harry Townshend’s papers.

These ancient records didn’t focus merely on family honours. In Le Neve’s ‘Knights’, I came across the Jenisons. Sir Ralf Jenison died in 1701 and is buried ‘under an ancient monument much defaced by the Scots’. His grandson Ralf died in 1704 and was ‘given to gaming and ruined the estate’.

Robert T’s first marriage, to Anne Spencer, likely occurred in the 1640’s. About this time King Charles I was taking the road which led to Civil War - and by 1649 the loss of his head. Robert had served on the Royalist side against Cromwell under the Earl of Holland, and his land was confiscated. Palmer noted (in his History of Gresford) that in 1651 he was permitted to regain possession of the land by paying a fine of £33.

In 1660 King Charles II was invited to return to England from exile. (Royalist supporters had considered him as King since his father was deposed.) He landed in England from Holland on May 30, 1660. I’ve been unable to discover any details of Robert’s service to his King which led to his being “ye first knight his Majestie made after his coming to London”. I wrote to the Central Chancery of Knighthoods requesting information on this honour, and on his burial site if available. Their response (exhibited) was appreciated but not very helpful, other than indicating that he may have come in 2 nd not 1 st , in May 1660! Either way, he’d provided some extraordinary assistance to his King.

Apparently his wife Anne had died the year before - and in the early 1660’s he married again, to Mary Askew. Through this marriage Robert came into possession of a brick mansion, Hem House, which stands within a mile or two of Trevallyn House. Palmer notes that ‘Hem' relates to a border, a hem - and he adds that Robert’s ownership of it commenced in 1661. Following this acquisition Robert styled himself as ‘Knight of the Manor of Hem’. (See photo, taken by Susan’s cousin Fiona Heaven in 1991.) It is mere coincidence, but the picturesque mill on the Alyn river in Rossett (photo - by Susan, 1992) carries on its gable the date 1661.

Hem House, Rosset, Denbigshire

I think a short historic note on Hem House will interest the reader, particularly since the ancient structure still stands, and is in use. Palmer suggests it may be very old, belonging to the 16th Century. None of the Townshends appear to have lived in it. An historical record by one John Pate (courtesy of Colin Jones, Gresford) notes that in 1675 he “moved to this very substantial Hem House Manor” - presumably leasing it from Robert T. John Pate died there in 1714, and later Pates eventually owned it. It is currently owned by the Parker family, who farm the surrounding land. Mr. Parker’s grandfather had bought it in 1901. After obtaining Robert’s will (date 1684 - and about which, more later) I learned why his style changed later to ‘of Hem and of the Manor of Childesmore’. Part of the honour he received from a grateful King was a 50-year grant of a large tract of land at Coventry, Warwickshire - upon which stood a grand mansion named Childesmore.

As noted in Ch.1, Aurelian T. had children christened as early as 1622 - which places his marriage to Robert’s mother Anne Agborough quite soon after Robert’s father died in 1619. The significance of that is that Robert was being brought up by Aurelian since very early childhood. And as the Grant of Arms says, he was “commonly known by, and hath had the surname of Townshend appended unto him”.

The Grant (exhibit) which changed his name from Agborough to Townshend is dated May 29, 1663. Apart from the cultured prose in the Grant’s wording, there are 2 or 3 key references worth drawing attention to. One is the confirmation that Robert’s stepfather Aurelian is indeed a near kinsman to Lord Horatio T. - even though the exact relationship has remained elusive to historians. Another is that the use of the Coat of Arms and Crest extends to Sir Robert’s “heirs and Descendants of his body forever”. I also point out that 1663 was considered the 15th year of the reign of Charles II, even though he had been on the throne only 3 years. Robert reflects this practice in his Will.

His extraordinary service to his King allowed his stepfather Aurelian to gain the support of Viscount Horatio Townshend in Robert’s formal change to Sir Robert Townshend - and a Grant of the Arms of Townshend “with a difference”. I confess I haven’t tried to isolate what the ‘difference’ is. Palmer studied the transition from Agborough to Townshend but could only conclude that it was ‘very peculiar’.

Here’s a brief ‘thumbnail sketch’ of Horatio, from Rosenheim’s ‘The Townshends of Raynham’. “Horatio provided a grinding energy to Norfolk Royalists aimed at Restoration. He was a key ally. In April 1660 he was one of the 12 who went to the Continent and accompanied Charles II back to England. As a reward he was elevated to Baron Townshend and a Royal grant of £2000 a year.” The Townshends of Raynham have a long-held motto, “Huic generi incrementa Fides” meaning (from Fairbairn’s) “Faith has bestowed these honours on the family”. In 1663 Robert was, no doubt, able to choose or at least influence the selection of his motto, “Vince Malum Patientia”, which is translated as “Patience Overcomes Evil”. My conjecture is that his chosen wording was to recognize the 11 years of Charles’s exile, while he patiently awaited the appropriate time to replace the usurpers of power. We now turn our attention to Robert’s wives, before completing his history with a study of his will.

ANNE (SPENCER) AGBOROUGH, later TOWNSHEND
Robert’s first wife was a member of the powerful Spencer family. Her entry in the Tree of Rings is more informative than what you’ll see in the Visitations exhibit, so here it is :- “Anne, 2nd daughter of William, 2nd Baron Spencer of Wormleighton, and sister to Henry, 1st Earl of Sunderland - by Penelope his wife, daughter of Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southhampton. Died approx. 1659.”

Her father William was one of my wife’s many 7xGr-Grandfathers. It is of some interest that he is also a 9xGr-Grandfather to Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales. This was brought to my attention by my Australian colleague, Jack Sullivan - who also sent us the Spencer pedigree, which shows that connection - and it shows a tie-in with Winston (Spencer) Churchill. Those interested will find a copy of the Spencer pedigree in my last chapter.

As the Townshend Tree shows, Anne gave birth to at least 6 children, only 2 of whom reached maturity - Anthony and Mary. Robert’s first wife died at a young age, likely before her 40th birthday.

Again from notes found in Clara Townshend’s handwriting, (and taken from “Collin’s Peerage”), here is the inscription on Anne’s tombstone - whose location I have yet to discover:-“ Here lyeth the body of the Lady Anne Townshend, wife of Sir Robert Townshend of Hem in the County of Denbigh, Knight, and 2nd daughter of the Right Hon. William Lord Spencer, Baron of Wormleighton in the Kingdom of England - who departed this life on the 2nd day of August Anno Dom. 1659, leaving one son Anthony, and 2 daughters Margaret-Mary and Audrey”.

It’s interesting to see that, 4 years before Robert became an ‘authorized’ Townshend, his wife was shown as Anne Townshend, and the Spencer pedigree shows her similarly.

On the same sheet of paper I found a copy of a tablet inscription for Anne’s father (1591- 1636) which has some interesting content:- “Lord Spencer by Penelope his Wife, daughte to Henry, Earl of Southhampton, had issue - 3 sons, Henry, Robert, and William, and 7 daughters - vide: Elizabeth, first married to Lord Craven of Ryton in County of Salop, afterwards to Henry, 3rd son of Thomas, Earl of Berkeley, and lastly to William Lord Crofts. Mary died young. Anne, wedded to Sir Robert Townshend. Alice to the Earl of Drogheda. Catherine died unmarried. Margaret married to Anthony, Earl of Shaftsbury. Rachel died young”.