George Hayward Tugwell

George Hayward Tugwell, was the eldest of the children born to William and Elizabeth Tugwell at the family home in Bath 1798 and was baptized in Holy Trinity, Bradford-on-Avon, on the 29th November 1799.

His childhood was full of tragedy, with his father and brother-Daniel, both dying when he was just 7 and then his mother Betty dying 4 years later.

He would have spent a few brief years at Freshford Manor, before moving to his grand parents home in Bradford on Avon.

He was to inherit both his parents and Grandparents substantial properties in Freshford, Bradford upon Avon and he was still only 16. (see his grandfather's will). Thus the property is let to Henry Fisher, who in the same year inherits part of the large estate in Limpley Stoke previously owned by George Dyke of Waterhouse.

1792 enterred a partnership as bankers with Dr Caleb Hillier Parry, Richard Bowsher, Robert Moody, cornfactor, Charles Spackman, auctioneer, and Abraham Allen Miles, all of Bath. George himself goes into banking with Robert Clement at the High Street Bank.

1793 a group of Bristol businessmen, having become impatient with the prevarication of the Kennet and Avon Canall committee organised a secret meeting at the Red Lion public house in Bristol with the intention of taking over management of the canal project. The canal committee claimed that in two years they had been unable to raise the required £75,000, yet this group of rebellious Bristolians managed to raise £264,000 in share subscriptions at their single meeting. The outcome was that Charles Dundas moved swiftly to accommodate the new interest, an equitable division of shares was agreed, and the project was able to progress. George Haywood Tugwell was one of the main shareholders.

1794 The Kennet and Avon Canal Act received Royal Assent on April 17th 1794.

Crowe Hall

In 1804 he moves to Crowe Hall in Widcombe (home of his father in law Daniel Clutterbuck) where the family continued to live until 1919 as wealthy Bankers. George Hayward Tugwell reconstructed the house around 1810. The great period of remodelling, however, was the mid- to late-19th century when the house was enlarged once more by Henry Tugwell, who added the Ionic porte cochere to the entrance front, and remodelled the interior in 1870. The gardens were also substantially remodelled in Italophile taste at the same time, with terraces and statuary, and an orangery or conservatory added to the South front.

George later let the house to a Mr Wilmot and then Mr Gilpin until 1795 when it was bought by Thomas Joyce.

He was Mayor of Bath in 1817 and 1827.

"2 large vellum sheets, wax seals, with schedule of deeds dating back to and indenture of 1866 between Ralph Allen and GEORGE TUGWELL, and inset coloured plan on first sheet, size 10" x 9", scale one chain to an inch, by Henry Spackman, Surveyor, Bath. Plan shows houses in Oldfield Park Road, plot of land coloured red, 8 adjoining owners. 1883."

George Hayward Tugwell, of Crowe Hall, Bath, died 14 January, 1839.

(Repositories are at the Somerset Archives and Record Service "Hayward FAMILY PAPERS DD\X\TG/4 1710-1795"