Victorian Tamworth : The life of Thomas Argyle
Peter Argyle
Punished 2025 Peter Argyle Publshing
www.peterargyle.com
ISBN 978-0-0369-1202-4
562 pages, soft back
15.2 × 22.8cm
Reviewed for Volume 4 Issue 2 Spring 2026
The Review
This is a weighty book being over 560 pages, and few pictures. However the author is a trained journalist with a lot of experience therefore this is not only well researched but written in a readable style rather than that of an academic treaties.
This book has a somewhat misleading title as the first 50 pages cover everything but the Victorian history. Though it does start with “…on Monday 30th June 1834 a young man arrived in Tamworth perched on the outside of a stage coach….” and having explained, briefly, who the young man is and says Tamworth is an ancient town, the next paragraph starts: At the time the Romans arrived…. The next 49 pages are a brief history of Tamworth from 43AD to 1834. That said the following 500 pages are all Victorian Tamworth.
Peter Argyle does like to set the context and full picture. Yes the author is directly related to Thomas Argyle, so has access to all the family archive including the scandal in the 1970’s, though that is not covered in this book. Hopefully in a later volume.
However the rest of it is Thomas Argyles’ life in the round from 1834 to 1898. That is effective Victorian Tamworth and as a solicitor, Town Clerk, member of the School Board, an active Methodist, and involved in many of the Towns charities, Thomas interacted with many people at all levels in the town.
This is why this book is over 500 pages, because all the side stories are explored and explained to give context, and the reasons why Thomas did what he did, fully justifying the books title of Victorian Tamwort.
The only thing missing in this book is an index. Though the contents page lists not only the chapters, but the 7-10 subjects covered in the chapter which does help somewhat to find particular events or. This also highlights that this is a book on Victorian Tamworth (with an emphasis on Thomas Argyle).
The good news is that this book is part of a trilogy. The second issue is out now (Spring 2026): Victorian Tamworth; The Next Generation which we will review in a future issue, also the Magazine will be serialising the first chapter of this book, The Argyle History of Tamworth, from 43CE to 1834 in 3 or 4 parts starting with the next issue.
This book should definitely be on the shelves of anyone with any interest in the history and heritage of Tamworth. Highly Recommended!
