SOLIHULL, a market-town and parish in the Solihull
division of the hundred of HEMLINGFORD, county
of WARWICK, 13 miles (N. W.) from Warwick, and 105
(N.W.) from London, containing 2817 inhabitants. This
town-is situated on the road from Warwick to Birmingham.,
and consists principally of one street, with another
branching off from the high road to the market-place;
the houses in general are modern and well built, and
many of them large and handsome; the inhabitants
are well supplied with water from the river Blythe,
which flows through the eastern extremity of the town,
and from springs; the air is salubrious, and the surrounding
scenery of a pleasing character. The Warwick
and Birmingham, and the Stratford on Avon, canals pass
through the parish. The market is on Wednesday; and
fairs are held on April. 29th, for cattle and horses;
Sep. llth for horses and the hiring of servants; and
Oct. 12th, for cattle. A court leet, at which a constable
is appointed, is held occasionally in the town hall, a neat
modern brick building, beneath which is the marketplace,
and in the upper part assemblies sometimes take
place. Petty sessions are also held every alternate
Wednesday. The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry
of Coventry, and diocese of Lichfield and Coventry,
rated in the king's books at £24. 18. 4., and in the
patronage of E. B. Clive, Esq. The church, which is
dedicated to St. Alphege, is a large cruciform structure,
partly in the later and partly in the decorated style of
English architecture, with an embattled tower and octagonal
spire rising from the intersection; the tracery,
mouldings, and corbels, in the interior are extremely
elegant, and there are some fine specimens of taberna-
cle and screen-work; near the west entrance is an ancient
stone font of. octagonal form, and having round
JNorman pillars at the angles: in the chancel and transepts
are several piscinae in trefoil niches, with triangular
canopies: the vestry-room was formerly a chapel
dedicated to St. Thomas a Becket. In 1757, the spire
fell on the north transept, and broke the roof and some
monuments; it was afterwards rebuilt. There are places
of worship for Independents and Roman Catholics.
Sundry donations prior to 1697 were directed by the
court of Chancery to be applied, under the management
of fifteen trustees, among other purposes, to the
instruction of poor children of this parish; the annual
income is upwards of £317, of which sum, the headmaster,
who must be a graduate of one of the Universities,
receives £ 100 for teaching the classics, and an
under-master £65, for conducting the English department;
the number of scholars is from fifty to sixty, all
of whom must be sons of parishioners. Shenstone, the
poet, was educated here. Fifteen poor girls are instructed
by a schoolmistress for £ 8 per annum, arising
from the united bequest of Mrs. Martha Palmer and
Mrs. Fisher, in 1746. A Benedictine nunnery, in honour
of St. Margaret, was founded at Hean-wood, in
this parish, in the time of Henry II., by Ketelburn de
Langdon, the revenue of which was valued at the
dissolution at £21. 2.