TOWNELEY, RICHARD
Arms.—Arg., a fess sa., in chief 3 mullets of the second. Towneley.
Motto.—Tenez le vray.
Date.—1603.
[The Hystory writtone by Thucidides the Athenyan of the warre which was betwene the Peloponesians and the Athenyans. London, 1550.]
The family of Towneley is one of ancient domicile in Lancashire. The member of it to whom the accompanying book-stamp probably belonged was Richard Towneley of Towneley Hall near Burnley, who lived there from about 1580 till about 1640.
His son Christopher was a well-known antiquary, but the most distinguished member of the family was Charles Towneley, who lived in the eighteenth century. He made a very important collection of ancient statuary and terra-cottas, which were purchased for the British Museum in 1805, and a member of the Towneley family is always represented on the Museum Board of Trustees.
