Towneley from A to Z
Towneley from A to Z
Charles Towneley (1803-1876) was the elder son of Peregrine Edward Towneley (1762-1846). He planned to make substantial changes to Towneley Hall after he inherited in 1846 but eventually the only changes he made were to increase the accommodation by adding a four storey tower by the north corner of the North wing. For more details of changes at Towneley during his time see Chapter 6 Colonel Charles Towneley (1803-1876) And His Contribution To The Hall in "An Architectural History of Towneley Hall" by W. John and Kit Smith, published by Heritage Trust for the North West in 2004.
The main changes that Charles made at Towneley were improvements to the farm buildings when he established a herd of shorthorn cattle that achieved national fame with outstanding success at agricultural shows. He was also a successful racehorse owner, winning the Epsom Derby in 1861. The oil paintings collection include Charles together with his Derby winner Kettledrum and three paintings of his short horn cattle. The most famous member of the herd, Royal Butterfly, is seen as a calf with his parents, Butterfly and Frederick in the painting 'Towneley Pedigres'.