James Townsend was an English Whig politician who served as Lord Mayor of London from 1772 to 1773. He also served as a member of Parliament. Townsend is thought to be the first Lord Mayor and first member of Parliament with Black African ancestry.
Townsend’s birthdate was not recorded but he was baptized as a child on February 8, 1737. He was the son Chauncy Townsend a merchant and member of Parliament for twenty-two years (and is noted for never having made a speech in Parliament during those years). James’ mother was Bridget Phipps.
Bridget and Chauncy had a “fleet marriage” conducted by a minister imprisoned in Fleet Prison. “Fleet Marriages” were done clandestinely and usually indicated that the relationship had not been endorsed by relatives of the couple. Bridget’s father was James Phipps the son of a prominent Wiltshire family. At the age of 16 James had taken a position with the Royal African Company and was stationed at Cape Castle on the Gold Coast (Ghana). The Royal African Company was active in the Atlantic slave trade, trading more slaves at that time than any other independent corporation.
While stationed at Cape Coast, James met and married Catherine the daughter of an African woman and a Dutch sailor. James and Catherine had several children. Among them was Bridget who was sent to England at a young age to live with her father’s relatives. Upon his death, James stated in his will that Catherine should leave Africa and join her daughters in England. She refused. She remained in the Gold Coast where she had become a prosperous business woman and slave owner.
Bridget met and married Chauncy. Together they had at least eight children, including James, who was named after his grandfather. James was given a good education and attended Hertford College at Oxford. In 1763, at the age of 26, James married Henrietta Rosa Peregrina du Plessis, the heiress of a large estate and fortune.
In 1767 James Townsend entered Parliament (House of Commons) representing the constituency of West Looe. He held the seat until 1774. In 1769 he was elected as an alderman of the City of London representing Bishopsgate. He was also appointed Sheriff of the City of London.
The City of London then consisted of a small, central portion of the London metropolitan area. The Lord Mayor of the City of London was selected annually, and the post was primarily ceremonial in nature. However, the Lord Mayor was chosen by the electorate and approved by the city aldermen. In 1772 Townsend ran against John Wilkes who came in first in the election, but the Sheriff of London and the aldermen manipulated the voting to prevent Wilkes from winning. This coup led to anti-Townsend riots in the city, but Townsend was sworn-in and served his term as Lord Mayor.
In 1782 Townsend was again elected to Parliament from a “pocket borough” (a constituency controlled by one person or family). He died on July 1, 1787, at his estate, Bruce Castle. James and his wife Henrietta had two children: a son, Henry Hare, and a daughter, Henrietta Jemima.
