In or before 1752 [his father] Captain Henry Loftus [aged 24] and [his mother] Diana Bullock were married.
In 1752 General William Loftus was born to Captain Henry Loftus [aged 25] and Diana Bullock at Raynham Hall, Norfolk. He was baptised at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin [Map].
Around 1770 [his father] Captain Henry Loftus [aged 43] puchased a commission for his son General William Loftus [aged 18] in Ireland in the 17th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons, which was deployed to North America in 1775, where he saw action in the American War of Independence.
On 10th April 1775 General William Loftus [aged 23] embarked at Cork [Map] for Boston, Massachusetts. He arrived on 24th May 1775.
On 17th June 1775 the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought as part of the siege of Boston, Massachusetts.
General William Loftus [aged 23] took part.
On 18th February 1778 General William Loftus [aged 26] and Margaret King were married.
Around 1783 [his son] Lt General William Francis Bentinck Loftus was born to General William Loftus [aged 31] and [his wife] Margaret King.
On 4th May 1786 [his wife] Margaret King died.
On 7th May 1790 General William Loftus [aged 38] and Elizabeth Townshend were married. She the daughter of George Townshend 1st Marquess Townshend [aged 66] and Charlotte Compton 16th Baroness Ferrers Chartley 7th Baroness Compton.
In 1792 [his father] Captain Henry Loftus [aged 65] died.
In 1796 General William Loftus [aged 44] was promoted to major-general, and lieutenant-general in 1803 and full general in 1813.
On 17th August 1797 George William Frederick Osborne 6th Duke Leeds [aged 22] and [his sister-in-law] Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 21] were married. She by marriage Baroness Darcy of Knayth, Baroness Conyers. She the daughter of [his father-in-law] George Townshend 1st Marquess Townshend [aged 73] and Anne Montgomery Marchioness Townshend [aged 45]. He the son of Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 46] and Amelia Darcy 12th Baroness Darcy 9th Baroness Conyers. They were sixth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King James I of England and Ireland and VI of Scotland.
On 31st January 1799 Francis Osborne 5th Duke Leeds [aged 48] died. His son George [aged 23] succeeded 6th Duke Leeds, 6th Earl of Danby, 6th Viscount Osborne, 6th Viscount Latimer, 6th Baron Osborne of Kinderton, 7th Baronet Osborne of Kiveton. [his sister-in-law] Charlotte Townshend Duchess Leeds [aged 22] by marriage Duchess Leeds.
In 1807 General William Loftus [aged 55] was appointed Governor of Dumbarton Castle [Map] which position he held until 1810.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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On 14th September 1807 [his father-in-law] George Townshend 1st Marquess Townshend [aged 83] died. His son [his brother-in-law] George [aged 54] succeeded 2nd Marquess Townshend, 5th Viscount Townsend, 5th Baron Townshend of Lynn Regis in Norfolk, 7th Baronet Townshend.
In 1810 General William Loftus [aged 58] was appointed Lieutenant of the Tower of London.
On 21st March 1811 [his wife] Elizabeth Townshend died.
In 1821 General William Loftus [aged 69] was appointed Colonel of the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) which position he held for life.
On 15th July 1831 General William Loftus [aged 79] died at his home at Wimpole Street, Marylebone. He was buried in the Townshend family vault Raynham Hall, Norfolk on 23rd July 1831.
Before 1898. Memorial to General William Loftus and [his former wife] Elizabeth Townshend at the Church of St Mary, East Raynham [Map] sculpted by George Gammon Adams [aged 76].
Elizabeth Townshend: Around 1767 she was born to George Townshend 1st Marquess Townshend and Charlotte Compton 16th Baroness Ferrers Chartley 7th Baroness Compton. On 7th May 1790 General William Loftus and she were married. She the daughter of George Townshend 1st Marquess Townshend and Charlotte Compton 16th Baroness Ferrers Chartley 7th Baroness Compton. On 21st March 1811 Elizabeth Townshend died.
[his daughter] Charlotte Elizabeth Loftus was born to General William Loftus and Elizabeth Townshend. She married before 5th November 1853 her first cousin Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend, son of George Townshend 2nd Marquess Townshend and Charlotte Mainwaring Ellerker Countess of Leicester.
father: Captain Henry Loftus 
Grandfather: William Bullock of Sturston Hall in Norfolk
mother: Diana Bullock