Joseph Townsend was an 18th century British physicist, geologist, and reverend who visited Asturias, Spain for two months in 1786-1787. While in Asturias, he recognized various rock types and noted that they were deformed, describing substances like gypsum, jet, and amber. He also described for the first time the existence of various fossils, especially reef fauna. Townsend is considered a pioneer in his observations of several geological features of Asturias.