Charles Towneley (1737-1805) was an English collector of classical antiquities. In addition to bronze and marble sculptures he collected terracotta reliefs, bronze utensils, gems and coins. In 1786 he became a member of the Society of Dilettanti and in 1791, a trustee of the British Museum. After his death, the Museum acquired most of his collection. See L. Stephen & S. Lee, The Dictionary of National Biography, 1917, p.1024.