The Townesend Tomb

The restoration of the Townesend Tomb at St Giles

Two years ago, as a result of recent legislation, St Giles’ churchyard underwent its first Cemeteries’ Health and Safety inspection. Only one tomb was declared unsafe and ring-fenced for either demolition or repair. The church was fortunate. In some areas of the country tombs have been knocked to the ground in atrocious acts of official vandalism to ensure public safety.

However, at a time when St Giles’ still has expensive work on its Chancel rafters to complete, it has been left with a problem, as this is the most historically and aesthetically significant tomb in the graveyard. It is a remarkable Georgian monument, the tribute by one of Oxford’s greatest Georgian architect-builders, William Townesend, to his father, John. It needs urgent attention.
John Townesend was born in 1648 and died in 1728. His father was a labourer but John was apprenticed to Bartholomew Peisley, one of a family of builders and stonemasons based in St Giles. By 1674 John was an independent mason. His buildings included the Long Library at The Queen’s College, (1692-5), the Kitchen Court and the Clock Tower at Blenheim Palace (1705-1712), the gate house and some of the Turl Street wing of Exeter College, and the main gate, gate tower and Master’s Lodging at Pembroke (1691-1709), although his work at both these last colleges has had subsequent remodelling.
John prospered and in his later years held several offices on Oxford City Council, becoming Mayor for the year 1719/20. Thomas Hearne commented: “Yesterday Mr Townesend, the mason, father to (William) Townesend who hath a hand in all the buildings in Oxford and gets a vast deal of money that way, was elected Mayor of Oxford. This old Townesend is commonly called “Old Pincher” from his pinching his workmen”.

It was usual for each Mayor to give a grand breakfast at the end of his year in office. Hearne records that John Townesend’s breakfast was “so splendid that the like hath not been known many years”. John had three sons who all became very well known masons. John worked in London and George in Bristol; but William was apprenticed to his father in Oxford and has the Peckwater Building at Christchurch, the Fellows’ Building at Corpus and the Woodstock Gate and Column of Victory at Blenheim Palace among his many great achievements. This dynasty of mason-builders dwindled back into obscurity after John’s grandson, another John, lost money building new bridges across the Thames at Maidenhead and Henley while his son Stephen encountered even greater difficulties building the bridge at Staines. In 1797 Stephen sold the yard and business to his foreman, Thomas Knowles, whose descendants still run Knowles and Son the firm involved in the recent building of the new vestries in St Giles’. Sir Howard Colvin has encouraged St Giles to have the monument conserved properly while making it safe and has recommended Rory Young, a specialist in tomb conservation, who will carry out the work this summer.
This will cost around £11,000, a relatively small sum; but it may prove difficult for the church to raise. There will be no new ‘Appeal’ as congregation, friends and neighbourhood have already given so generously for the roofs. However the PCC would be very grateful for any sort of help either by telling interested friends about it, suggesting charities for us to approach or even directly by making a contribution! Oxford City Council has already promised a grant. It will be good to see the fencing removed and this important memorial conserved for posterity.

Catherine Barrington-Ward
May 2007

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