Tamworth in 1859

TAMWORTH (ST. EDITHA), a borough, market-town, and parish, and the head of a union, partly in the N., and partly in the S., division of the hundred of OFFLOW, S. division of the county of STAFFORD; and partly in the Tamworth division of the hundred of HEMLINGFORD, N. division of the county of WARWICK; containing 7746 inhabitants, of whom 3789 are in the old borough, 22 miles (S.E. by E.) from Stafford, 27 (N, by W.) from Warwick, and 112 (N.W. by N.) from London. This town, which is considered the most ancient in the county of Stafford, derives its name from the river Tame, and Waert, or Worthidge, a water farm. At a very early date, it was the site of a Mercian fortification and royal residence, and was the seat of government under Offa, Cenwulf, Beornwulf, and others, at which period it had also a mint. Having been nearly destroyed by the Danes, it was rebuilt early in the 10th century, by Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great, who also erected a castle for its defence, which, having undergone recent repairs, is now a private residence; and the ancient fosse that surrounded the town, called the King's Dyke, is still visible.

The TOWN, which is about equally divided between the counties of Stafford and Warwick, though commonly considered a Staffordshire place, is situated near the confluence of the rivers Tame and Anker, both crossed by bridges about a mile distant from the Coventry canal, and consists of some good streets. The manufacture of paper and tape affords employment to several persons; and many others are engaged in the raising of fruit and vegetables. Many veins of coal have been found, and are worked in the vicinity; and bricks and tiles of great durability are made from a clay which abounds in the district. Here is a first-class station on the Birmingham and Derby Junction railway: the highest embankment on the line, rising 30 feet above the level of the surrounding country, occurs to the south of the town; and between this place and Kingsbury the railway crosses the river Anker, by a beautiful viaduct of 18 arches of 30 feet span, and one oblique arch of 60 feet, the whole erected at a cost of £18,000.

There is a permanent library, under the direction of a committee; and a reading-room, to which is attached a collection of books, was established under the auspices of Sir Robert Peel, Bart., M.P. for the borough, in 1841. The market is on Saturday; fairs are held by charter on May 4th, July 26th, and October 24th, for cattle and merchandise, and there are five new fairs for the sale of cattle only. The town was, till the passing of the Municipal act, governed under a charter granted by Charles II., upon the surrender of one which had been conferred by Elizabeth. The government is now vested in a mayor, four aldermen, arid twelve councillors; the mayor and late mayor are justices of the peace, and the total number of magistrates is four, but the county justices have concurrent jurisdiction. The borough returns two members to parliament: the elective franchise was extended in 1832, to the 10 householders of the entire parish, which has been made to constitute the new borough, comprising an area of 11,000 acres, of which 4649 are in the Warwickshire portion: the old boundaries included only 83 acres; the mayor is returning officer. 

The corporation hold courts leet and baron; and petty-sessions for the borough take place every alternate Wednesday. The town-hall is a handsome building in the market place. The parish comprises the townships of Syerscote and Fazeley, and the chapelry of Wigginton, in the county of Stafford; and the townships of Amington with Stony-Delph, and Bolehall with Glascote, the liberty of the Castle, and the hamlet of Wilnecote with Dosthill, in the county of Warwick.

The LIVING is a vicarage; net income, £170; patron, Captain A'Court, R.N. The church, situated in the county of Stafford, is spacious and handsome, with a fine tower, in which are two remarkable spiral staircases, communicating with separate floors, their respective entrances being within and without the church; beneath the edifice is a small crypt. The building combines the decorated and later English styles. It was formerly collegiate, and occupies the site of an ancient monastery: the foundation of the college, which consisted of a dean and six prebendaries, is uncertain, but is attributed, with the greatest probability, to the Marmions, who were owners of the castle. Some tessellated pavement, now placed in front of the communion-table, was discovered a few years since, when the church was undergoing repair. There are places of worship for Baptists, the Society of Friends, Independents, and Wesleyans; and a Roman Catholic chapel.

The free grammar school was refounded in the reign of Edward VI., and a stipend of £10.13.2. was confirmed to the master from the revenues of the crown: in the reign of Elizabeth the bailiffs were incorporated governors, and, in 1677, the schoolroom was rebuilt; the revenue has been increased by various benefactors, and now amounts to £33.11. Boys from the school are eligible to a scholarship at Catherine Hall, Cambridge, established by Mr. Frankland; and a native of the town to a fellowship in St. John's College, Cambridge, on the foundation of Mr. Bailey. A free school for twelve boys and ten girls has an income of £20 per annum, partially arising from a bequest. In 1686, the Rev. John Rawlett bequeathed land and houses for teaching and apprenticing children; and there is an almshouse for fourteen men and women, endowed in 1678, by Thomas Guy, founder of Guy's Hospital, London, who represented the borough in seven parliaments, and, in 1701, rebuilt the town-hall. The poor law union of Tamworth comprises 24 parishes or places, 11 of which are in Stafford, 10 in Warwick, and 3 in Derby, and contains a population of 12,897. A bridge has been erected over the Tame, at Fazeley, along which passes the ancient Watling-street. Edward, Lord Thurlow, was a representative of the borough until his elevation to the peerage, and recorder until his death. Tamworth confers the inferior title of Viscount on Earl Ferrers. 

An 1859 Gazetteer description of the following places in Tamworth is to be found on a supplementary page.

• Canwell
• Syerscote
• Wigginton

 

[Description(s) from The Topographical Dictionary of England (1859) by Samuel Lewis - Transcribed by Mike Harbach ©2020]