Christopher Towneley (1604-74) was a member of a Catholic gentry family from Towneley in Lancashire. He is known as an antiquary but also had an interest in scientific research, particularly astronomy. See the Dictionary of National Biography for further details.

Antiquarian collections of Christopher Towneley including (c. 6) transcripts of documents relating to the Houghton and Talbot families, temp. Henry V-Edward VI, with a schedule of deeds relating to property in Hapton, Cliviger and Towneley in Lancashire, temp. Edward I-Elizabeth I; and (c. 12) transcripts of documents, mainly temp. Elizabeth I, relating to the manor of Wakefield, the Earls of Derby, and the manor of Ightenhill in Lancashire, with extracts from a cartulary of Whalley abbey.

Bought by the Library from Gwendoline Bertie, Countess of Abingdon in 1933.

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card (for admissions procedures see http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/services/admissions/).

M. Clapinson and T.D. Rogers, Summary Catalogue of Post-Medieval Western Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library Oxford. Acquisitions 1916-1975. (Oxford, 1991), vol. II, nos. 54409-10.

See also the Scientific and Antiquarian Papers of Christopher and Richard Towneley.

Antiquarians

Towneley | Christopher | 1604-1674 | Antiquary

Haughton | family

Stanley | family | Earls of Derby

Talbot | family

Whalley Abbey

Cliviger (Lancashire, England)

Hapton (Lancashire, England)

Ightenhill (Lancashire, England)

Towneley (England)

Wakefield (England)