TAMWORTH, a parish,
partly in the northern
and partly in the southern
division of the hundred
of OFFLOW, county of
STAFFORD, and partly in
the Tamworth division of
the hundred of HEMLINGFORD,
county of WARWICK,
comprising the borough
and market-town of
Tamworth, the chapelry of
Wiggington, the townships
of Almington with Stone-Delph, Biddescote, Bole-
hall with Glascote, Bonehill, and Fazely, the hamlet of
Wilnecote with part of Dosthill,the liberties of Syerscote,
otherwise Sterscote, and Tamworth Castle, and ,
the extra-parochial liberty of Hopwas-Hayes, and con-.
taining 7185 inhabitants, of which number, 1636 are in
the borough of Tamworth, 22 miles (S. E. by E.) from
Stafford, 27 (N. by W.) from Warwick, and 112 (N. W.
by N.) from London. This town is of great antiquity,
being considered the most ancient in the county: its
name is derived from Tame, the river on which it is
situated, and Waert, or Worthidge, a water farm. At a
very early period 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. The town, having
been nearly destroyed by the Danes, was rebuilt early
in the tenth 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. It stands south-west of the town,ana
the ancient fosse which surrounded it, called the King; S
Dyke, is still visible at a short distance. Tamworth,
which is about equally divided between the counties of
Stafford and Warwick, though commonly considered a
Staffordshire town, stands near the confluence of the
rivers Tame and Anker, both crossed by bridges
about a mile distant from the Coventry canal: it consists
of some good streets. The manufacture of lace,
cotton, tapes, and patten-ties, affords employment to
several persons. Many veins of coal have been found,
and are worked, in the vicinity; and bricks and tiles o
great durability are made from a clay which abounds
here. There is a permanent library, under the direction
of a respectable committee. 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
is governed under a charter granted by Charles II., upon
the surrender of a former one, which had been conferred
by Elizabeth, authorising the appointment of a
high steward, two bailiffs, recorder, twenty-four capital
burgesses, a town clerk, and other officers; the members
of the body corporate are chosen by the two bailiffs
and the capital burgesses; the high steward, recorder,
and town clerk, hold their offices for life; and
the two bailiffs are chosen annually by the capital burgesses,
from their own body. The corporation hold
courts leet and baron twice a year, and are empowered
also to hold a court of record, for the recovery of debts,
but this right has not been exercised for many years.
Quarter sessions are held regularly, but the trial of
criminals has been discontinued, they being now sent
to the county gaol for trial by the judges of assize.
The borough returns two members to parliament: the
elective franchise is in the inhabitants paying scot and
lot, and not receiving alms, the number of whom is
about six hundred; the bailiffs are the returning officers,
and the influence of the noble family of Townshend
and Sir Robert Peel, Bart., is predominant.
The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry
of Stafford, and diocese of Lichfield and Coventry,
endowed with £400 private benefaction, £400 royal
bounty, and £ 800 parliamentary grant, and in. the patronage
of C. E. Repington, Esq. The church, dedicated
to St. Edith, and situated in that part of the parish
which is in the county of Stafford, is a spacious and
handsome edifice, 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 styles of
English architecture. 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 successively
owners of the castle. Some fine tesselated pavement,
now placed in front of the communion-table, was
discovered a few years ago, when the church was undergoing
repair. There are places of worship for Baptists,
the Society of Friends, Independents, Wesleyan Methodists,
and Unitarians. The free grammar school was
refounded in the reign of Edward VI., and the stipend
of £10. 13. 2. was confirmed to the master, and made
payable from the revenues of the Crown. In the reign
of Elizabeth the bailiffs were incorporated governors,
and in 1677 the school-room was rebuilt: the revenue
has been subsequently increased by various benefactors,
and now amounts to £33. 11. 3.: from four to twelve
children are instructed. Boys from this school are
eligible to a scholarship at Catherine Hall, Cambridge,
founded by Mr. Frankland; and a native of this 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 charitable bequest; and the Sunday
schools are endowed with the interest of £50, the
gift of Mrs. Mary Done. In 1686, the Rev. John Raw-
lett bequeathed lands and houses for teaching and
apprenticing poor children. An almshouse for fourteen
poor men and women was endowed, in 1678, by Thomas
Guy, Esq., of London, founder of Guy's Hospital in the
borough of Southwark, who represented this borough
in seven parliaments, and, in 1701, rebuilt the town
hall. A new bridge has lately been erected at Fazely,
over the Thame, along which passes the ancient Watling-
street. Edward, Lord Thurlow, was also a representative
of this borough until his elevation to the
peerage, and recorder until his death. Tamworth confers
the inferior title of viscount on Earl Ferrers.