Roger Townshend (British Army officer, born 1708)


Roger Townshend was a British soldier and Member of Parliament.
Townshend was the youngest son of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, from his first marriage to the Hon. Elizabeth Pelham. Charles Townshend, 3rd Viscount Townshend, Thomas Townshend and William Townshend were his elder brothers while George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend, Charles Townshend and Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney, were his nephews. Townshend was a cavalry officer in Wade's Regiment of Horse and was notably present as an aide-de-camp to King George II at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743. He served as Governor of the North Yarmouth garrison from 1745 to 1760.
Apart from his military career he also sat as Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth from 1738 to 1747 and for Eye from 1747 to 1748 and a Receiver of Customs from 1748 to 1760.
Townshend died in August 1760, aged 52. He never married.