William Townesend

William Townesend (1676–1739) was a prominent English sculptor, architect, and builder in 17th and 18th-century Oxford, associated with several important buildings.

He was baptised at St Giles's Church, Oxford on 17 December 1676, the son of John Townesend the Elder (1648-1728), who was a prominent mason who served as Mayor of Oxford in 1720/1.

[1] His father was one of the main masons working on Blenheim Palace and nicknamed "Old Pincher".

Townesend's eldest son, John Townesend the Younger (d.1742), was also a stonemason, with a yard in London, his most noteworthy structures being St Mary-le-Strand and the Mansion House, London.

He is thought to be buried in the family plot in St Giles Churchyard in Oxford.