Townsend, Harrison (1851-1928)

English architect and designer. He was educated at Birkenhead School and articled to the Liverpool architect Walter Scott (1811-75) in 1870. He moved to London with his family in 1880 and was associated with William Eden Nesfield. By 1883 he was working for Thomas Lewis Banks (c. 1842-1920) with whom he entered partnership in 1884. He was practising on his own account in 1888 and in that year he was elected a Fellow of the RIBA and a member of the Art Workers’ Guild: he maintained ties with both throughout his career. He arranged Guild trips to northern Europe and northern Italy, gathering information on mosaics on which he lectured and wrote extensively.