Roger Townshend

Who was Roger Townshend?

Sir Roger Townshend KS was a British judge and politician.

He was the son of John Townshend and Joan Lumford and studied at Lincoln's Inn.

He was returned to Parliament for Bramber in 1467 and for Calne in 1472 and was made a Serjeant-at-Law in 1477. In June 1483 he was made a King's Serjeant and in 1484 was made Third Justice of the Court of Common Pleas after the promotion of John Catesby. He was knighted in 1485 and after Catesby's death in 1486 he was made Second Justice.

He retired in 1493 and died in 1500. He had married Eleanor, daughter of William Lunsford, of Battle, Sussex. He was succeeded by his son Roger Townshend, who became MP for Norfolk.