' s ▁grand father ) ▁was ▁James ▁Town send , ▁Lord ▁Mayor ▁of ▁London ▁from ▁ 1 7 7 2 ▁– ▁ 1 7 7 3 ▁and ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁parliament . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁rich ▁family , ▁with ▁properties ▁in ▁Nor folk , ▁London , ▁and ▁Switzerland , ▁and ▁the ▁young ▁Cha un cy ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁E ton ▁College ▁and ▁Tr inity ▁Hall , ▁Cambridge . ▁He ▁graduated ▁B A ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 1 ▁and ▁MA ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 4 , ▁and ▁won ▁the ▁Chan cell or ' s ▁Gold ▁Medal ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 7 ▁for ▁his ▁poem ▁Jerusalem . ▁He ▁also ▁played ▁one ▁game ▁of ▁first - class ▁cr icket ▁for ▁a ▁Kent ▁side ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 7 . ▁ ▁Life ▁as ▁a ▁poet ▁ ▁Town sh end ▁met ▁the ▁poet ▁Robert ▁S out he y ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 5 , ▁and ▁through ▁him ▁met ▁the ▁Word sw orth s ▁and ▁Col er id ges . ▁Two ▁volumes ▁of ▁his ▁poetry ▁were ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 0 , ▁and ▁he ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁famous ▁encounter ▁with ▁the ▁poet ▁John ▁Cla re : ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 8 2 1 , ▁Cla re ▁gave ▁up ▁his ▁agricult ural ▁lab ours ▁almost ▁entirely . ▁The ▁greater ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁spent ▁in ▁ro aming ▁through ▁woods ▁and ▁fields , ▁planning ▁new ▁po ems , ▁and ▁correct ing ▁those ▁already ▁made . ▁Vis its ▁to ▁St am