Georgian (1714 - 1837)
The Townshend's
George Townshend I inherited Tamworth Castle through his wife, Lady Charlotte. George Townshend was a prominent figure in Georgian society, a Field Marshal in the army, a member of the Privy Council and a renowned caricaturist. It is unlikely George lived at the Castle; he ordered a survey which described it as in a bad state of decay due to neglect but still kept in external repair.
George’s son George II inherited the Castle after his mother’s death. During his father’s lifetime, he began an extensive repair and renovation programme. The Elizabethan wing was drastically altered with the top attic floor removed, whilst all the late Tudor bay windows were replaced with fashionable gothic style windows. The Castle grounds were landscaped to provide the family with an attractive private pleasure garden. He was unable to realise his plans for the Castle and died before the works were completed. His estate was declared bankrupt on his death due to the debts he had accrued during the building work.
For a short period the Castle was sold to a London lawyer, John Robins, but in 1833 the Townshend family purchased the Castle again. The family did not live at Tamworth, instead renting it to a number of wealthy tenants.