TAMWORTH, market town, municipal borough, Lichfield parliamentary division, Staffordshire, England, on the river Tame. The rural district of Tamworth is in the Tamworth divi sion, Warwickshire. Pop. (1930 7,510. It is 110 M. N.E. of London on the L.M.S. railway. The castle, situated above the Anker, is chiefly of the Jacobean period, but is enclosed by mas sive ancient walls. After being bestowed on the Marmions by William the Conqueror, the castle was for many years an impor tant fortress. The town was formerly surrounded by a ditch of which traces only remain. The church of St. Editha (8th cent.) was rebuilt, after the Danes burned it, by Edgar, who made it collegiate; the existing Decorated building was erected after a fire in 1345. The free grammar school, refounded by Edward IV., was rebuilt in 1677, and again in 1867. The charities include Guy's almshouses (1678), endowed by Thomas Guy, founder of Guy's hospital, London. Coal, fireclay and blue and red brick clay are dug in the neighbourhood ; and there are also market gardens. In the town are a clothing factory, paper-mills, and manufactories of small wares.
Tamworth (Tamwurda, Thamworth, Tomworth) is situated near the Roman Watling street. It was burned by the Danes and restored in 913 by Aethelflead, who built the fort which was the origin of the later castle. The town was again destroyed by the Danes in 943. It is mentioned in Domesday. Tamworth was incorporated by Elizabeth in 1560 by letters patent, which state that it is an "ancient mercate town," and suggest that the charters have been lost or burned. The governing charter in 1835 was that of Charles II., incorporating it under the title of the bailiffs and commonalty of the borough of Tamworth in the counties of Stafford and Warwick. Edward III. granted two fairs, still kept up in 1792, to be held respectively on St. George's day and the day of the Translation of St. Edward; another ancient fair, in honour of St. Swithin, or perhaps originally of St. Editha, is still held (July 26). Tamworth sent two members to parliament from 1562 to 1885.