The Towneleys were a gentry family who remained resolutely Catholic subsequent to the English Reformation. The male line died out in 1878 and the estate was divided among the daughters. The best known member of the family was Charles Townley (1737-1805), the celebrated collector of Roman antiquities, whose collection is now in the British Museum.
This website concentrates on the family library that was built up in the 200 years before Charles Townley's birth and was willed to posterity by his ancestor Richard Towneley (1629-1707). This library was dispersed bit by bit in the years after Richard's death and the remains were sold at Sotheby's in 1883. The books are now scattered across many of world's greatest libraries.
One aim of this website is to provide links to electronic copies of the contents of many of these book and to help researchers gain more insight into this and other 17th century English libraries. As an adjunct, information is also given about the family history and the family portraits, which date as far back as 1601.
The family, who took their name from the place of Towneley in Lancashire, lived in the area for over 600 years until Burnley Corporation purchased the house and its pleasure grounds and opened the grounds as a public park in 1902. The house was opened as an art gallery and museum in 1903.
For more information about Towneley Hall Art Gallery & Museum go tothe Towneley Hall website owned and administered by Burnley Borough Council.
