Towneley family
An English landed family whose principal seat was Towneley Hall near Burnley in Lancashire.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Towneley family, also spelled Townley in some historical contexts, was an English landed and recusant Catholic family associated principally with Towneley Hall near Burnley, Lancashire. Its ancestry is traditionally traced to Anglo-Saxon England, while documentary accounts of the Towneley estate begin in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century. The family’s name became closely connected with local landholding, public office, military service, Catholic religious life, scientific interests, antiquarian scholarship, art collecting and participation in national political conflicts. A significant stage in the family’s territorial formation followed a grant by Roger de Lacy, probably between 1195 and 1211, of lands identified as Tunleia, Coldcotes and Snodesworth to Geoffrey, son of Robert the Dean of Whalley. By 1295, the Towneley estate had been divided among the three sisters of Nicholas de Towneley. Through marriage and acquisition, the de la Legh and Towneley lines consolidated interests in Towneley, Hapton, Birtwistle and surrounding parts of Lancashire. Richard de Towneley, a fourteenth-century member of the family, held county and parliamentary responsibilities, served as a receiver and escheator, and was High Sheriff of Lancashire from 1374 to 1377. Later generations continued to combine estate management with military and civic office. The family retained Roman Catholic allegiance after the Reformation. From the sixteenth century onward, this exposed members to recusancy fines, imprisonment and exclusion from public office. John Towneley of Gray’s Inn was punished for recusancy and for sheltering Catholic priests during Elizabeth I’s reign. Catholic identity remained a defining feature of the family through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Charles Towneley died fighting for the Royalists at Marston Moor during the English Civil War, while several later members were implicated in Jacobite politics. Richard Towneley was arrested after the 1715 rising but acquitted, and Francis Towneley commanded the Manchester Regiment during the 1745 Jacobite rising before being captured and executed in 1746. The family also produced figures associated with science, books and the arts. Richard Towneley, who recovered the Lancashire estates after Parliamentary sequestration, made systematic rainfall observations and is credited with inventing the deadbeat escapement. Christopher Towneley was an antiquarian. John Towneley was a significant book collector, a trustee of the British Museum and a Fellow of the Royal Society. Charles Townley became renowned for collecting classical sculptures, including works known as the Townley Venus, Townley Vase and Townley Discobolus. In the nineteenth century, Peregrine Edward Towneley and his son Colonel Charles Towneley supported Catholic institutions and remained active in county, military and scientific affairs. The family’s estates were progressively divided through inheritance and marriage. After John Towneley died in 1878, the portion containing Towneley Hall and its park passed to his niece Alice, Lady O’Hagan. Facing the difficulty of maintaining the property, she sold Towneley Hall and 62 acres of parkland to the Corporation of Burnley in 1901. The hall is now a Grade I listed building and operates as a museum and art gallery within Towneley Park. The family is therefore no longer a commercial operating brand, but its historical identity survives through the house, collections, records and associated Lancashire heritage.
History
The Towneley family’s history is rooted in Lancashire landholding and the development of a locally prominent medieval lineage. A grant made by Roger de Lacy between approximately 1195 and 1211 placed lands at Tunleia, Coldcotes and Snodesworth in the hands of Geoffrey, son of the Dean of Whalley. By the end of the thirteenth century, Nicholas de Towneley had died and the Towneley property was divided among his three sisters. Marriage alliances and later purchases enabled the de la Legh and Towneley branches to reunite substantial interests in Towneley and to add Hapton, Birtwistle and other estates. The family rose within the administrative and military structures of medieval Lancashire. Richard de Towneley held county offices, attended Parliament as a knight of Lancashire, served as escheator and was High Sheriff from 1374 to 1377. His descendants continued to acquire land and to participate in campaigns involving the English Crown and the Scottish border. Richard Towneley fought at Agincourt, Sir Richard Towneley was knighted during the campaign that captured Berwick, and Sir John Towneley later served as a knight and sheriff while expanding Hapton Park. Religious allegiance shaped the family’s subsequent history. The Towneleys generally remained Catholic after the Reformation, and members of the family faced recusancy penalties, imprisonment and exclusion from civic office. John Towneley of Gray’s Inn was repeatedly fined and imprisoned between 1573 and 1594 for refusing the established religious settlement and for sheltering Catholic priests. Catholic education and continental connections were also important: Charles Towneley studied at Catholic institutions in France, Belgium and Rome before returning to Lancashire. The family became involved in the civil and dynastic conflicts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Charles Towneley was killed while leading Royalist infantry at Marston Moor in 1644. His son Richard later recovered the family’s Lancashire estates from Parliamentary sequestration and developed interests in experimental science. His work included regular rainfall measurements and the deadbeat escapement. In the Jacobite period, Charles Towneley and his son Richard were associated with efforts supporting the Stuart cause. Richard was arrested after the 1715 rising and acquitted after trial, while his brothers John and Francis served with the French army and later supported the 1745 rising. Francis became colonel of the Manchester Regiment, surrendered at Carlisle and was executed in London in 1746. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the family’s cultural and institutional influence broadened. Charles Townley assembled an important collection of classical sculpture, much of which became associated with the British Museum. His relative John Towneley collected books, owned the Towneley Cycle and served as a trustee of the British Museum; he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1797. Peregrine Edward Towneley continued the family’s scientific and Catholic commitments, improving Towneley Hall, supporting construction of a Catholic chapel in Burnley and purchasing the Lordship of Bowland. After Catholic emancipation, he was able to hold the office of High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1831. Colonel Charles Towneley combined estate management, science, politics and military service. He served as an MP, commanded the 5th Royal Lancashire Militia, held the Lordship of Bowland and was involved in the development of St Hubert’s Catholic church at Dunsop Bridge. His brother John represented Beverly in Parliament and later inherited the principal estate. After John’s death in 1878, inheritance divided much of the property among the descendants of the family’s daughters. The part containing Towneley Hall went to Alice O’Hagan, who was unable to maintain the property and sold it to Burnley Corporation in 1901. Towneley Hall is now a Grade I listed public heritage site, museum and art gallery within Towneley Park.
- 1901
Towneley Hall sold to Burnley Corporation
[1]Lady Alice O’Hagan sold the hall and 62 acres of parkland to Burnley Corporation.
- 1831
Peregrine Edward Towneley becomes High Sheriff
[1]Following Catholic emancipation, Peregrine Edward Towneley served as High Sheriff of Lancashire.
- 1797
John Towneley elected Fellow of the Royal Society
[1]John Towneley’s scientific and scholarly standing was recognized by election to the Royal Society.
- 1746
Francis Towneley executed
[1]Francis Towneley, colonel of the Manchester Regiment in the 1745 Jacobite rising, was captured after Carlisle and executed at Kennington Common.
- 1644
Charles Towneley killed at Marston Moor
[1]Charles Towneley died while commanding a Royalist infantry regiment during the English Civil War.
- 1626
Major extension to Towneley Hall completed
[1]Richard Towneley’s large northern extension to the hall was completed around this date.
- 1514
Hapton Park established
[1]Sir John Towneley established and expanded Hapton Park, creating one of Lancashire’s larger enclosed estates.
Towneley estate divided among three sisters
[1]Following Nicholas de Towneley’s death, the estate was divided among Agnes, Cecily and Isabel, setting the stage for later reunification through marriage and purchase.
Acquisition of Birtwistle by the wider family network
[1]The de la Legh branch acquired the neighbouring manor of Birtwistle while the Towneley branch retained the Towneley estate.
Richard de Towneley becomes High Sheriff
[1]Richard de Towneley served as High Sheriff of Lancashire from 1374 to 1377.
Products and positioning
Historical English landed family associated with Lancashire estates, Catholic recusancy, public service, scientific interests, antiquarian scholarship and cultural patronage.
Historic house
Towneley Hall
The principal ancestral seat of the Towneley family near Burnley, Lancashire. The building developed over several centuries and received a substantial northern extension in the early seventeenth century. After its sale in 1901, it became a public heritage property and now houses a museum and art gallery. The hall is Grade I listed and forms the central built heritage feature of Towneley Park.
Books, art and antiquities
Towneley family collections
The family’s historical collections included books, antiquarian material and classical sculpture. John Towneley was associated with the Towneley Cycle and an important library, while Charles Townley collected classical marbles, including works later known as the Townley Venus, Townley Vase and Townley Discobolus.
Brand decisions
1901
Sale of Towneley Hall and parklandOtherBackground
Lady Alice O’Hagan found the ancestral property difficult to maintain after inheriting the portion of the estate containing Towneley Hall.
Action taken
She sold Towneley Hall and 62 acres of parkland to the Corporation of Burnley.
Aftermath
The property entered public ownership and became a museum and art gallery within Towneley Park.
Recent events
- 1901
Towneley Hall and park sold to Burnley Corporation[1]
Other
Lady Alice O’Hagan sold Towneley Hall and 62 acres of surrounding parkland to the Corporation of Burnley. The property subsequently became a public museum and art gallery.
Towneley family historical legacy preserved at Towneley Hall[1]
Other
Towneley Hall remains a Grade I listed building and a museum and art gallery in Towneley Park, Burnley.
Sources1 sources
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