HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 141 



to great advantage, varied with rich meadows, two bridges over 

 the Tame and the Anker, and the rivers wandering picturesquely 

 along the country. Michael Drayton, born on the banks of the 

 Anker, thus celebrates that river and his mistress : 



" Clear Anker, on whose silver-sanded shore 

 My soul-shrin'd saint ; my fair idea lies : 

 A blessed brook, whose milk-white swans adore 

 Thy crystal stream, refined by her eyes ; 

 Where sweet myrrh-breathing zephyr in the spring 

 Gently distils his nectar-dropping showers j 

 Where nightingales in Arden sit and sing 

 Amongst the dainty dew-impearled flowers. 



****** 

 Fair Arden ! thou my Tempe art alone ; 

 And thou, sweet Anker, art my Helicon." 



Tamworth is now a handsome well-built town; even in the reign 

 of Henry VIII. Leland describes it as "all well builded of tym- 

 ber." Lichfield-street is particularly elegant, and the gardens on 

 the bank of the river large and pleasant. 



The borough of Tamworth belonged to the Crown till the reign 

 of Henry III. when it was declared a free Corporation ; but the 

 inhabitants afterwards forfeited their charter, which was restored 

 by Edward II. The market was held weekly on Saturday, by pre- 

 scription, from the time that the Kings of Mercia resided here. 

 But the town fell into decay, and lost the name of a borough, till the 

 reign of Queen Elizabeth, who granted it a charter, according to 

 which it is governed by a high-steward, two bailiffs, a recorder, a 

 town clerk, and twenty-four principal burgesses, and sends two 

 members to parliament. 



In the year 1796 the Most Noble George Marquis Townshend 

 was chosen high-steward for Tamworth. The parliamentary interest 

 was till lately divided between the Marquis Townshend, proprietor 

 of Tamworth Castle, and the late Marquis of Bath, by the influence 

 of his neighbouring seat and estate at Drayton-Basset ; but Sir 

 Robert Peel having purchased the latter seat, was consequently 

 elected one of the representatives of the borough in Parliament. 



There are five annual fairs held in Tamworth. The first, the 

 Monday before January 25th ; second, St. George's-day (old style,) 

 May 4th; third, St. Swithin, 26th July; fourth, the first Monday 

 in September; and fifth, on the feast of Edward the Confessor, the 

 24th of October, and the four following days. 



Tamworth is a town of considerable population, and a variety of 

 manufactures are successfully carried on in it; particularly a manu- 



