HMS Romney was a 50-gun fourth rate of the Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in a career that spanned forty years. Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Romney. The origins of the name are from the town of New Romney, although it may be that the name entered the Royal Navy in honour of Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney.

The Townshend Acts or Townshend Duties were a series of British acts of Parliament passed during 1767 and 1768 introducing a series of taxes and regulations to fund administration of the British colonies in America. They are named after the Chancellor of the Exchequer who proposed the programme. Historians vary slightly as to which acts they include under the heading "Townshend Acts", but five are often listed:The Revenue Act 1767 passed on 29 June 1767. The Commissioners of Customs Act 1767 passed on 29 June 1767. The Indemnity Act 1767 passed on 2 July 1767. The New York Restraining Act 1767 passed on 2 July 1767. The Vice Admiralty Court Act 1768 passed on 8 March 1768.