Frank Towndrow
British Archdeacon (1911-2007)
Frank Noel Towndrow (25 December 1911 – 7 April 2007) was a Church of England priest who was Archdeacon of Oakham from 1967 to 1977.
Early life
Towndrow was born on Christmas Day 1911. He was educated at St Olave's Grammar School, then an all-boys grammar school in Orpington, Kent. He went on to study at King's College, Cambridge.
Ecclesiastical career
Towndrow was ordained after a period of study at The College of the Resurrection, Mirfield in 1937 and began his career with a curacy in Chingford.
He saw active service during World War II. On 19 February 1940, he was commissioned into the Chaplains Branch of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR). He was granted the relative rank of squadron leader. He relinquished his commission on 25 December 1956.
When peace returned he held incumbencies at Grangemouth, Kirton Lindsey, Greenford Magna and Ravensthorpe.
During his years as an Archdeacon he was also a Canon Residentiary of Peterborough Cathedral and an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen
Death and memorial
He died on 7 April 2007.
The public source identifies “Frank Towndrow” as british Archdeacon (1911-2007). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Frank, Towndrow and British.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Frank Towndrow”, the useful work is to connect “british Archdeacon (1911-2007)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 29, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5489992. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1911, 2007, 1967 and 1977.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Frank Towndrow”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Frank Towndrow primary sources, Frank Towndrow archive and Frank research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Frank Towndrow”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Frank Towndrow” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.