The History of the Town and Castle of Tamworth Book

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The idea for the edge of the token was evidently taken from the famous petition-crown executed by Thomas Simon, in the reign of Charles II. Of the rev. F. Blick's halfpenny, the dies were by Wyon. Six dozen pieces were struck in copper, and half a dozen in silver; so Mr. Blick told sir George Chetwynd, to whom we are indebted for our information. Those in silver were thus disposed of. 1?Presented by Mr. Blick to the late marquis Townshend, in 1799. 2?Thomas Sharp, esq., of Coventry. It was sold to Mr. Shepherd, of Liverpool; afterwards to Mr. Thomas ; and, in March, 1844, it was bought by Mr. Tindall, clerk to Messrs. Southby and Co., on commission, for the right hon. ? Butler. 3?Thomas Welsh, csq., of Birmingham; now in the possession of George Barker,csq., of the same place. 4?William Nickson, of Coventry ; now uncertain. 5?In Mr. Blick's private cabinet ; it was purchased, in 1843, by sir George Chetwynd. 6?John Harding, esq., of Bonehill; it is now in the collection of sir George Chetwynd, at Grendon-hall. The fidelity of the engravings has rendered unnecessary a particular description of these tokens. In 1807, the town underwent very great improvement, by the placing of flags and curb-stones along the pathways of all the principal streets. The expenses were defrayed by a general subscription, aided by liberal donations from the parliamentary representatives, sir Robert Peel, bart., and major-general William Loftus. Within the course of the present century, several useful institutions have arisen in Tamworth. In 1804, a Permanent library was established, which, in a few years contained upwards of two thousand volumes, circulated amongst subscribers paying an entrance-fee of two guineas and a half, and an annual sum of one guinea. In 1823, a Savings-bank was intr...Read More