Peter Townsend (sociologist)

Peter Brereton Townsend (6 April 1928, Middlesbrough – 8 June 2009, Dursley) was a British sociologist.

The last position he held was Professor of International Social Policy at the London School of Economics.

He was married three times: Ruth Pearce (1949) with whom he had four sons; Joy Skegg (1977) with whom he had one daughter; Jean Ann Corston, a Labour peer and former MP (1985) (one stepson, one stepdaughter) who was his partner from 1980.

[2] Townsend was dedicated to studying "very carefully the life of the poorest and most handicapped members of society".

[3] Townsend was co-founder of the Child Poverty Action Group in 1965, was its chair for 20 years and Life President from 1989.