Dear Townshend Cousins.

We are writing to all our Townsend (and Townshend) relations to invite you to join us in a piece of family history here at Raynham Hall, Norfolk in England.

The Family Church of St. Mary the Virgin, which stands in the park at Raynham Hall, was rebuilt in 1868 by my great grandfather, the 5th Marquess Townshend. It is a ravishingly pretty church in an idyllic setting, with several family memorials both inside and outside. Many of you will have visited it on your trips to Britain and I hope that you will come again for a very special event.

The Tower contains 3 bells which we are proposing to augment to 8 and we are hoping that you will first of all contribute money and then come to the Dedication Service and "clan gathering" afterwards at Raynham Hall. It will be the first time that any Townshend event of this size has ever taken place at Raynham and it would also include donors who have local family connections with the church from all over the world.

It will be memorable event: the singing in the church will be led by a choir from Trinity College, Cambridge and the bells will be rung by Norfolk's best ringers. The whole service and event will be recorded for you on video/CD. So, even if you are unable to come to the dedication service, you will be able to see and hear to what you have contributed; and as a registered charity, all gifts are, of course, fully tax deductible.

For full information about the project, with many pictures, please find a moment to visit our website. If you are interested please contact me personally, as soon as you are able, by fax or eMail or telephone.

Or you can write to Françoise Walker (Treasurer of the Appeal) at 13 the Street, West Raynham, Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21 7AD, in England.

In America, you can contact David D.Townsend who is a member of the family and visited us here last year. He has agreed to help and to answer any questions you might have. He is at 2331 Mecklenburg Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205 or his eMail is dabatownsend@cs.com. He has also very kindly agreed to have you call him on (704) 375 4701 if there are details you wish to discuss urgently.

I look forward to hearing from you,

yours sincerely,

Charles.

Viscount Raynham, heir to The Marquess Townshend and Churchwarden at St.Mary's.

Fax: +44 1328 701818

eMail:charles@townshend.org

The Bells Website is http://www.townshend.org

And please 'click' here to read the LATEST NEWS!

From here you can navigate throughout the Raynham Bells website, although it may be easiest to proceed through the Index Page.

'Click' here for the Index page, the start of the site.

'Click' here for the History, Background and Proposals.

'Click' here for the Pictures page.

'Click' here for the Contribution Package.

'Click' here . Your Donation will help to achieve all this in the family church in England.