Early Life
Townley was born at Nocton, in Lincolnshire, on 10 October 1629. His father was Charles Towneley (1600–1644) and his mother before marriage was Mary Trapppes (1599–1690). He had three brothers and three sisters. Towneley came from a Catholic family which stoutly refused to conform to the Protestant Church and was thus excluded both from public office and from English universities. He is thought to have been educated at one of the English colleges in the Low Countries as his younger brothers are both known to have studied at the English College, Douai in France. His interests included mathematics, natural philosophy and astronomy. His father, Charles, was killed at the battle of Marston Moor in 1644.The civil war had been disastrous for the Towneley family and their Lancashire estates were confiscated by Parliamentary sequestrators. Richard married Mary Paston of Barningham, Norfolk and fathered four sons and four daughters. Although the date of their marriage is not recorded their first son Clement, was born in 1654. By 1653 the Lancashire lands were regained, but the Nocton estate in Lincolnshire had to be sold in 1661 to pay outstanding debts.
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