Richard Towneley d.1628

Richard TOWNELEY d.1628

Armorial stamp of Richard Towneley (British Armorial Bindings).

Biographical Note

Of Towneley Hall, Burnley, a member of a long-established Roman Catholic gentry family there.

Books

The library at Towneley Hall began to be developed by Richard's father John Towneley (c.1528-1608); it was enlarged by Richard and by his sons, Charles and Christopher. Their collections were inherited by his grandchildren, Charles and his brother, Richard, who used an armorial bookplate dated 1702. Manuscript catalogues of the collection made ca.1702-07 (one in Chetham’s Library, one in Manchester University Library) show that the library then contained over 2000 books. Books and manuscripts from the Towneley family were sold at Sotheby’s in 2 sales in June 1883.

Characteristic Markings

Richard Towneley used an armorial stamp, featuring their arms of a fess in chief three mullets, and the motto "Tenez le vrai".

Sources

• British Armorial Bindings.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903. 29653/*207.
• Kitto, T. The Towneley family library, The Book Collector 59 (2010) 399-416.
• Maggs Bros: 1272 (1999)/44.
• Willmoth, Frances. "Towneley, Christopher (1604–1674), antiquary." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• The Towneley family, Wikipedia.
• Transcripts of catalogues relating to the Townley family library.
• Information from Ray Schrire.