James Townley

author

James Townley

An 18th-century English clergyman and dramatist, he moved easily between the classroom, the pulpit, and the stage. He is best remembered for the lively farce High Life Below Stairs and for his connection to artist William Hogarth.

1 Audiobook

Parturition without Pain or Loss of Consciousness

Parturition without Pain or Loss of Consciousness

by James Townley

About the author

Born in London in 1714, James Townley was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and St John's College, Oxford. He was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1738 and went on to build a long career in education, serving at Christ's Hospital before becoming head master of Merchant Taylors' School.

Townley also had a strong love of the theatre. He wrote several plays, including High Life Below Stairs, False Concord, and The Tutor, and he is often remembered as an important figure in 18th-century stage culture. At Merchant Taylors', he even revived the custom of dramatic performances in the early 1760s.

He was also a friend and collaborator of William Hogarth, contributing verses to some of Hogarth's well-known prints and assisting him with The Analysis of Beauty. Townley died in 1778, leaving behind a life that joined literature, teaching, religion, and the arts.