ioe9 



WARWICKSHIRE. 



WARWICKSHIRE. 



1070 



north-west and west of the town U Button Park, containing about 3500 

 acre;*, granted to the poor of the town an pasturage by Bishop Vesey. 

 Branches of the hardware manufacture afford considerable employment 

 The weekly market is on Monday, and there are fairs for cattle, sheep, 

 and pedlery in March, September, and November. 



The following are some of the more important villages, with the 



Imputation in 1351, and a few other particulars : 

 Alretton, population 769, stands in a very healthy situation, about 

 2 miles K. from Stratford, near the right bank of the Avon. A new 

 church has been recently built ; of the old church only the chancel 

 remains. There are National schools and an Infant school. Malting, 

 .basket-making, and the manufacture of agricultural implements afford 

 some employment. Alton Cantlow, or Caatelupe, population 1111, 

 about 1 1 miles W.S.W. from Warwick, had once a market and a yearly 

 fair, which have long been discontinued. The parish church is- an 

 ancient structure, with an embattled western tower. There are National 

 school*. Btdicorlh, population of the town 3012, is about 4 miles S. 

 by E. from Nuaeaton, on the road to Coventry. The church is a 

 modern building, enlarged in 1837. The Independents have a chapel. 

 There are endowed National schools, and almshouses for 20 aged 

 women. A yearly fair for cattle is held. Bidford, population 1537, 

 is about 7 miles W.S.W. from Stratford, on the left bank of the Avon. 

 The church has been recently rebuilt in tho gothic style. There are 

 National schools. Bidford had formerly a market ; fairs are still held 

 on April 9th and September Sth. Brailet, population 1303, about 17 , 

 miles S.E. by S. from Stratford-on-Avon, has a commodious church, j 

 in various styles of gothic, with a lofty tower. The Quakers and 

 Roman Catholics hare places of worship ; and there are a National 

 !, partly endowed; an Infant school; a school supported by 

 Roman Catholics ; and a library and reading-room. The village po*- 

 tfliin a manufactory of plush for liveries, a manufactory of agricultural 

 implements, and several flour-mill*. Jlulkinjlun, population 2005, 

 stands on an eminence, about 6 miles N.N.K. frm Coventry. The 

 church lias been recently enlarged. There are a chapel for Indep?nd- 

 '.tiooal schools. Many of the inhabitants are employed iu 

 '.lxi manufacture. Chitrtn Colon, population 2613, about a 

 -. from Nunenton, has a parish church, places of worship for 

 .an Methodists and Independent*, a Free school, and an Infant 

 school. The Coventry Canal passes the village. The ribbon manu- 

 facture employs many of the inhabitants. C'ompton, Long, population 



out It! miles S.S.E. from S'r v.t',rd-on-Av<>n, had a chart 

 Henry III., for a weekly market and an annual fair. The Common, con- 

 taining about 2300 acres, has ben inclosed. Besides the parish church, 

 there are chapels fur We*lyan Methodists and Independents, and 

 . d schools. Ditnckurci, population ll"j, about 11 miles E.S.K. 

 frrfm Coventry, was once a market-town, and still has several yearly 

 fairs. The church is a handsome building. The chancel is early English, 

 with aoiii.' good decorated windows inserted ; the nave is decorated, 

 and the tower is 'perpendicular in style. There are a Free Grammar 

 ' ; and several National and Infant schools. In the centre of the 

 village is an olx-H-k. PvlcthiU, population 7S10, about 2 miles N.E. 

 ' '(v-ntry, ii ;ie of th i rincipal scat* of the ribbon manufacture. 

 U church, and another Episcopal church, there are 

 place* of worship for Wealcyau and I'riiui tivi< Methodists, Independents, 

 iptixto; National schools; aud an Infant school. There are 

 irn foundry. /f'imjiluHiu-Arden, population 3094, 

 abuu' N'.\V. from Warwick. Besides tho parish church, a 



very a- ''e, consisting of a chancel, three aisles, and a low tower, 



are a chapel for Independent.'', and Fonsham's Charity school. 

 There are four annual fairs, llartthill, population of the hamlet 

 .bout 3 miles N.W. from Nune iton, ban a church recently l-uilt; 

 chapels for Independents and Quaker* ; and a Free school. The ribbon 

 manufacture employs many of the inhabitants. In the neighbourhood 

 are the ruins of a Norman castle. /jWry, population 1099, about 1C 

 .V. by N. from Warwick, near the Worcestershire bonier, has 

 an ancient church, with a handsome square embattled tower. Many 

 of the inhabitants are engaged in the manufacture of needles aud 

 fishhooks. Pulaworth, population 2104, about 10 miles N.W. from 

 >U>n, had a Benedictine nunnery, originally founded early in the 

 9th century by King Egbert. A few picturesque fragments of the 

 buildings remain. There are here a parish cburrh, an Episcopal 

 chapel, chaprl.s for Baptists and Independent*, and Free school*. The 

 making of watches and clucks employs some of the inhabitants. Si,we, 

 population 1589, about 4 miles N.E. from Coventry. Many of the 

 inhabitants are engaged in the ribbon manufacture. There are National 

 and Infant schools. Stmelcij/h, population 12S9, is situated on the 

 Sow, ju,t. above its junction with the Avon, about miles 

 N.N.K from Warwick. There was anciently a Cistercian abbey here. 

 The gateway of the abbey is still standing iu Stoueleigh Park, the scat 

 ^h. The church of Stoneleigh is a large irregular building, 

 partly of Norman architecture. There are here National schools, and 

 almshouaes. Stoneleigh ll<.-i- is a noble mansion, standing in an 

 extensive and well-wooded park. Wwlley, population 21 S3, is about 

 18 miles'W. from Warwick. There are here some considerable remains 

 of the conventual buildings of an Augustine priory. A consMcr.iMu 

 manufacture of needles and fish-hooks is carried on. Besides the 

 parish church, there are chapels for Wesleyan Methodists and Baptists ; 

 and National schools. Studley Castle is an extensive modem mansion, 



erected by Sir F. T. A. Goodrich, Bart. Wellesbourne Hastings, popu- 

 lation 797, about 6 miles S. from Warwick, had in the reign of Edward I. 

 a charter for a weekly market, and a yearly fair. Besides the parish 

 church, there are a chapel for Wesleyan Methodists, a Free school, 

 and an Infant school. Willouyhby, population 373, is about 14 miles 

 S.E. from Coventry, close to the Northamptonshire border. To the 

 north of the village is a spa, called the Bath, not now visited. In the 

 vicinity are stone quarries. 



Divitioni for Ecclesiastical, Legal, and Parliamentary Purposet. 

 This county is wholly included in the diocese of Worcester. It com- 

 prehends the whole of the archdeaconry of Coventry and a part of 

 the archdeaconry of Worcester. The county is included in the mid- 

 land circuit; the assizes and quarter sessions for the county are held 

 at Warwick ; those for the city of Coventry are held at Coventry. 

 County courts are held at Alcester, Atherstone, Birmingham, Coven- 

 try, Nuneaton, Rugby, Soliuull, Southam, Stratford-ou-Avon, and 

 Warwick. There are a county jail aud a house of correction at 

 Warwick ; a jail and house of correction at Coventry for the city ; 

 loek-up houses at Leamington and Birmingham ; a debtors or Court 

 of Requests prison at Birmingham ; aud a county asylum for discharged 

 juvenile prisoners at Stretton. 



Be-fore the Reform Act Warwickshire sent only six members to the 

 House of Commons, namely, two for the county, two for the city of 

 Coventry, and two for the borough of Warwick. By tho Reform Act 

 the number was increased to ten, namely, four for the county, which 

 was divided into two parts ; two each for Warwick aud Coventry, aa 

 before ; and two for Birmingham, which was made a parliamentary 

 borough. By the Poor-Law Commissioners Warwickshire is divided 

 into 13 unions Alce-ter, Aston, Atherstone, Birmingham, Coventry, 

 Foleshill, Mi-riden, Nuueaton, Rugby, Solihull, Southam, Stratford-ou- 

 Avou, and Warwick. These unions include 225 parishes and town- 

 ships, with an area of 529,720 acres, aud a population in 1851 of 



<j anil Antiijullia. In the Roman division of Britain, War- 

 wickshire appears t > hive bueu included iu the province of Fl.uia 

 usis. Several Roman or other ancient roads cross tho county 

 or pass along its borders. Among these may be named the ancieut 

 Watling-street, the Foss Way, aud the Ryknield Way. Some Roman 

 towns and stations, in tho county or on the border, may be identified. 

 The Trij>ontium of Antoninus is fixed by Dugdale at Dove Bridge, or 

 Dowbridge, on Watling-street, at the junction of the three counties of 

 Northampton. . and Warwick; or at Lilbourue in North- 



amptonshire, closo by, where there are some ancient trenches and one 

 or two tumuli. The Veuoua: of the same writer is fixed by Carndeu 

 aud others at or near High Cross, where tho Watliu^-street aud the 

 Foss Road intersect. The Mauducsscdum of the same writer is fixi-d 

 at M.incctter or Maucester, near Atherstone. Here are evident remains 

 of a Roman station ; the ditch and vallum being in many parts very 

 perfect. Alce.-ti-r may be identified with the Aluuua of the 14th Itor 

 of Richard of Cirencester. Near Chesterton, on the Fosa Way, is an 

 encampment, evidently Roman. Roman coins or other antiquities 

 have been found near Birmingham, Hanipton-iu-Arden, Willoughby 

 ue u the Learn, on the eastern border of the county, and Warwick ; 

 and a Roman pavement at Coventry. There are some earthworks at 

 Briuklow, near Monk's Kirby, on the line of the Foss, which appear 

 to be Roman. 



Iu the earlier Saxon period Warwickshire formed part of the king- 

 dom of Mcrcio. The southern part of the county, which has been 

 all along included in tho diocese of Worcester, appears to have formed 

 part of the subordinate kingdom of Hwiccas, or, as it is termed 

 by Bede ('Hist. Eccles.,' lib. iv., c. 13,23), ' proviucia Huicciorum,' 

 which was in existence as early as the middle or latter end of the 

 7th century. Und'-r Alfred Warwickshire came, with the rest of 

 Mercia south-west of Watling-street, into direct subjection to the West 

 Saxon crown (about 886), and during part of the reign of Alfred and 

 his son Edward the Elder it was governed by the alderman -Ktln n <1, 

 and after his death by his wife, the lady ..'Ethel 8;uil, or Ethelllodu, 

 Alfred's daughter. During this and the subsequent reigns it was tho 

 scene of war with the Danes or Northmen. 



In the civil troubles of Henry III., after the defeat and death of 

 Simon de Montford, earl of Leicester, the castle of Kenilworth held 

 out for the insurgents for eix mouths (1266); and iu the reign of 

 Edward II. the murder of Oaveston, the king's minion, took place at 

 Blacklow Hill, near Warwick. In the war of tho Roses the inhabit- 

 ants of the county were divided between the two parties ; the 

 Warwick men, swayed by their earl, the celebrated 'king-maker,' 

 were Yorkists ; the men of Coventry were supporters of the house 

 of Lancaster. In the civil war of Charles I. the county generally 

 embraced tho cause of the Parliament. The first great battle of the 

 war was fought at Edge Hill, iu the southern part of tho county, iu 

 1642. 



Statittict : Hcligioiu Worihifi and Education. According to the 

 Returns of the Census in 1851, it appears that there were then in the 

 county 593 places of worship, of which 278 belonged to the Church 

 of England, 133 to six sections of Methodists, 64 to Independents, 50 

 to fonr sections of Baptists, 26 to Roman Catholics, 10 to Unitarians, 

 7 to Quakers, 5 to Mormons, and 3 to Irvingites. Tho total number 

 of sittings provided was 208,713. The number of Sunday schools 



