Philip Twysden

Philip Twysden (1713–1752) was an Anglican clergyman who served as the Lord Bishop of Raphoe in the Church of Ireland from 1747 until his death in 1752.

Born in Kent, in south-east England, in 1713, he was the third son of Sir William Twysden, 5th Baronet of Roydon Hall, East Peckham, Kent. His mother was Jane Twisden, a distant cousin. Twysden commenced his studies at University College, Oxford, in 1732. He completed a Master of Arts degree and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Civil Law in 1745.

Twysden was married twice. His first wife was Mary Purcell, who died in 1743. His second wife was Frances Carter, the daughter of The Rt Hon. Thomas Carter, who served as Master of the Rolls in Ireland. After Twysden's death, Frances married her cousin, General James Johnston. With Frances, Twysden had two children: a daughter named Mary, who died in infancy, and a posthumous daughter, Frances (1753–1821). Frances was later known as the Countess of Jersey and was a mistress of King George IV when he was Prince of Wales. She is an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her sons, Princes William and Harry.

In his ecclesiastical career, Twysden was ordained as a priest in the Church of England. He was instituted as rector of Eard in 1738 and briefly served as rector of Eastling, Kent, in 1745. He accompanied the 4th Earl of Chesterfield to Dublin as his chaplain upon the Earl’s appointment as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He was nominated to the bishopric of Raphoe in Ulster on 3 March 1746 and was consecrated bishop on 29 March 1747 at St Michan's Church in Dublin by the Lord Archbishop of Dublin, with assistance from bishops of Derry and Clonfert.

Bishop Twysden died on 2 November 1752 at his residence in Jermyn Street, St James's, London. Henry Cotton, writing nearly a century later, mistakenly believed he died at Roydon Hall, East Peckham, his family estate. Twysden was buried in the south chancel of St Michael's Church in East Peckham beneath a plain stone bearing no inscription.

Following his death, rumors emerged suggesting that Twysden, having faced bankruptcy, was shot while attempting to rob a stagecoach. Reports varied on the location of this alleged incident, with Hounslow Heath and Wrotham Heath in Kent cited as possible sites. However, these stories lack substantiation and are considered part of the scandalous folklore that developed posthumously.