File BL/BC 8/11 - Letter from Giles Fletcher to Sir Nathaniel Bacon: his hopes that an inexperienced tutor may make of Roger Townshend 'a constant student'.

Second son of Lord Keeper Sir Nicholas Bacon and first wife Jane, daughter of Thomas Ferneley. Had two brothers Nicholas and Edward and two half-brothers Anthony and Francis, sons of Sir Nicholas and second wife Anne, daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke. In 1569 married Anne, illegitimate daughter of Sir Thomas Gresham and Mistress Dutton. Children: Anne, Winifred and Elizabeth and two sons who died in infancy. Wife Anne died in 1595. Married in 1597 second wife Dorothy, daughter of Sir Arthur Hopton. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and Gray's Inn, London. He lived at Norwich from 1569, Cockthorpe from 1573 and Stiffkey Hall, from 1578. He was JP in Norfolk from 1574, MP successively for Tavistock (Devon), 1571-1572, Norfolk, 1584, 1593 and 1604, and Lynn, 1597. Sheriff of Norfolk, 1599 and another unknown year, knighted, 1604. Puritan and close connections through his family with leading figures at Court.
For an attempt to re-create his archive, see the Norfolk Record Society volumes of 'The Papers of Nathaniel Bacon of Stiffkey'.

Father of Sir Horatio, 1st Viscount Townshend of Raynham. Died 1 January 1637, aged 41.

Sir Roger Townshend, Knight 1484; Sir John Townshend, Knight at Cadiz 1596, Sir Horatio 1st Viscount Townshend created Baron Townshend of Lynn Regis 1661, Charles 2nd Viscount Townshend Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk 1709, 3rd Viscount Townshend appointed Lord of the Bedchamber 1723, George 1st Marquess Townshend Lord lieutenant of Ireland, High Steward of Tamworth, Yarmouth and Norwich 1767-1772, George 2nd Marquess Townshend created Earl of Leicester 1784, George Ferrers 3rd Marquess Townshend 1778-1858, John 4th Marquess Townshend 1798-1825, John James Dudley Stuart 6th Marquess Townshend Mayor of King's Lynn 1928. At Raynham Hall.