#lomdon

[lolthsword]

l.. londong

[scotianostra]

On July 30th 1746 Francis Towneley, an English Jacobite of The Manchester Regiment was executed in London.

Colonel Francis Toneley was executed at Kennington Common along with eight other officers from the Manchester Regiment; George Fletcher, David Morgan, Thomas Chadwick, Andrew Blood, John Berwick, Thomas Deacon, Thomas Syddall and James Dawson. He was said to have been calm and dignified, wearing a suit of black velvet made for the occasion.

Townley was born in Lancashire to a Roman Catholic family and many of his family joined the Jacobite cause. His father and grandfather both fought to return the throne to King James II when he was exiled and his brother Richard was part of the Jacobite Rising in 1715. However, most of Francis Townleys involvement was in the ’45 Rising.

In 1728 Townley went to France and received a commission in the royal service. He would stay in France for over a decade before he returned to England where he was sent a colonels commission from King Louis XV of France. This enabled him to raise a force of Jacobites to aid Prince Charles Edward Stuart and the Jacobite cause. Townley headed to Manchester where he spent several months as a guest of the Jacobites in the town.

A few days before Prince Charles entered Manchester himself Townley rode out to join him and was told that all those in England who joined the Prince would be commanded by Townley as part of the Manchester Regiment. A few men of the town volunteered, and were made officers, but most of the rest, about three hundred in total, received payment for joining the Princes army.

The Manchester Regiment followed the Prince down to Derby and on their retreat back up to Carlisle. Here Townley was given orders to remain at Carlisle and defend the town, while the prince and his army continued their retreat into Scotland. Townley was determined to fight for the town and it was against his wishes that the governor of the town, a man called Hamilton, surrendered.

With the surrender Townley was thus taken prisoner and put to trial. In his defence Townley said that as a French officer he should be treated as a prisoner of war. He was a commissioned officer of France, not the Stuarts, and therefore was not a traitor. This defence however was not allowed and Townley was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.

His body was interred in the graveyard at St Pancras Old Church, one of the few places in London reserved for Catholic burials. Along with that of George Fletcher, his head was placed on a pike on Temple Bar; the journalist John Taylor reported that it was later removed by friends of his nephew Charles Townley.

Author Katherine Grant, who is a direct descendant, states the relic was returned to his wife Mary and kept in the family chapel. In the 1930s, it was moved to Drummonds Bank in London, before being interred at St Peter's Church, Burnley in the late 1940s.

The third pic is a satirical poster from 1746 and poem regarding the Jacobite Rebellion showing severed heads on poles include those of Francis Townley and George Fletcher.

There’s a great article about Towneley, well mainly his head, at the link below.

https://www.theguardian.com/.../grisly-inheritance...

[fleur-aesthetic]

instagram | lukecabrahams

[nessymon]

As part of #openhouse yesterday, I got to go to the roof of the headquarters for Transport for London. Amazing views and we were so lucky the rain stopped for a little while. It was worth the climb up the old green stairs. Beautiful art deco style inside and views to die for outside. But here's the thing, there's planning permission to change the building I to luxury flats. London, sometimes I don't understand you. So from left, the London eye, the some of Methodist Central Hall, Big Ben in his scaffolimg coat, the Shard, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliment and a tiny glimpse of The Thames. #tfl #transportforlondon #lomdon #55Broadway #artdeco #londonskyline #londoncollective #urbanromantix #Londoneye #theshard #BigBen #Westminster #housesofparlimemt #centralhall #thethames #rooftops #skyline #urbanskyline #londoncollective #londoner #londonr #londontown #londonist #londonsbest #visitlondon #55BroadwayOpenhouse #thelondonear #nessymon (at 55 Broadway) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoEJfCFH5xJ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=j0wjjsxnyy9v

[itssalemsaberhagen]

Went to The Shard today for Afternoon Tea and it was wonderful 🥂

[rubynekklace]

Lion Hunts (Assyria 645 - 635 BC). British Museum, Bloomsbury, London, England

[littlegirl-10]

He was so close...

[nicolaslaborie]

#nightwalk #peacefulmoments #lomdon #beauty #riverstroll #thames #towerbrige (at Tower Bridge)