Collection: Tamworth Castle

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  Tamworth Castle was purchased by Tamworth Corporation in 1897 without contents. The collections have been acquired since 1897 through gift, bequest and purchases.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  There are ten core areas of the collections:

  1. Furniture 60: The Museum holds a furniture collection from the Tudor, Jacobean, Georgian and Victorian periods. This area of the collection supports the presentation of the rooms within the castle.
  2. The Gibbs & Canning object / architectural collection 150 and archive 55 lots of documents and 385 photos. The Museum holds the company business archives and terracotta samples from nationally and internationally renowned company Gibbs & Canning dating from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century, as well as a large number of the company’s photos of their workshop samples.
  3. The George Skey collection object 163, document archive 30 and 17 photos The Museum holds a collection of locally produced ceramics and company archives from George Skey, later Doulton’s, dating from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.
  4. Coins 1200 and Medals 140 The Museum holds a collection of coins and medals including Saxon Tamworth mint coins and Roman coins.
  5. The Allsopp collection objects 232 known (potentially a lot more that were re-accessioned, and the provenance lost) and archive 574 including books.
  6. The museum holds an eclectic collection of a private local collector with objects dating from the 18th to the 20th century. Combined this collection forms the main core of the social history, art, weapons and armour, curiosities, and book collections, as well as an archive.
  7. Archaeology 295 lots / boxes. The museum holds a collection of archaeological objects from within the vicinity of Tamworth including Tamworth Castle grounds and motte, the rivers Anker and Tame, town planning initiatives resulting in excavations in the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s, and field walking. Published excavation reports are held within the archive, particularly for the Saxon mill.
  8. Natural History collection 22 boxes. The museum holds a small fossil and mineral collection from a local collector dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as a small 19th century mineral collection and 19th century botanical collection of Staffordshire / Warwickshire mosses and wildflowers both donated by Lady Emily Peel.
  9. Industry 10 – 12 The museum holds a collection of local Tamworth business trade samples, and trade records in the archive dating to the 19th and early 20th centuries
  10. Art collection 291 framed and around 650 unframed. The Museum holds a collection of works of art from the 18th to the mid-20th centuries. The collection includes oil paintings, watercolours, portraiture including historic owners of Tamworth Castle and notable people including Sir Robert Peel. Further works include landscapes of Tamworth by local artists as well as paintings of Tamworth Castle, and 7 sculptures of local interest.
  11. Handling Collection 150: The museum holds a handling collection for the purpose of education and access. The handling collection has mostly been returned to the collections and is now largely replicas that are used for school workshops and are not part of the collections audit.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2023

  Licence: CC BY-NC