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Elizabeth Pelham (1681-1711) was the only surviving daughter of Sir Thomas Pelham, later 1st Lord Pelham of Laughton by his first wife Elizabeth Jones, daughter of Sir William Jones, Attorney General to King Charles II. In July 1698, Elizabeth Pelham married Charles, 2nd Viscount Townshend of Raynham Norfolk. Charles, eldest son of Sir Horatio Townshend later Baron Townshend ( 1661) and Viscount Townshend (1682). After attending Eton College and Kings College Cambridge, Charles joined the peerage in December 1687. After moving away from supporting the Tories, Charles became actively involved in the Whig party, leading to his appointment of Captain of the Yeoman of the Guard having previously been summoned to the Privy Council despite being left without a post under Queen Anne. In April 1706 he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, and having quickly won favour with the new king, George I, Townshend was appointed Secretary of State for the Northern Department. He remained in office under George II despite the king’s dislike of Townshend, helping forge the League of Hanover until his retirement in May of 1730 after disagreements with Walpole, Chancellor of the Exchequer. Townshend’s retirement thus made possible the Anglo-Austrian alliance which he had been set against.

Apart from parliamentary achievements, Townshend was a pioneering agriculturist resulting in him being called ‘Turnip Townshend’. Although often a figure of fun, Townshend’s agricultural achievements were important introducing Clover and Turnip into the crop rotations.