KIRBY-MONKS, (Warwickshire) bet. Coventry and Lutterworth, is a large p. of at least 10 hamlets. Here are marks of a Roman
station. It had the name from being an alien priory subordinate to a mon. at Angiers in France. In the R. of Hen. III. it
had a charter for a Mt. on W. and a Fair at Midsummer; but in the R. of Edw. I. the Mt. was altered to Tu. In the R. of
Rich. II. it was united to the Carthusians mon. in the Isle of Axholm. At the Diss. it was granted by K. Henry VIII. to
Tho. Manning Bp. of Ipswich, for his life, with remainder to Cha. Brandon D. of Suffolk, and his heirs; from which D. the
manor devolved to Hen. Cray D. of Suffolk. It went afterwards by marriage to Edward Seymour Earl of Hartford, grandfather
to Will. Marquis of Hertford, who sold it to Mary Countess of Bucks, who settled it on her grandson, Basil Ld. Fielding,
afterwards Earl of Denbigh. The Ch. is very large, and had a very tall spire, which served as a land-mark all over the
country, till the inh. to save the charge of repairs, pulled down above 20 feet of it. It was blown down, on Christmas-day
at night, in 1722, but is since rebuilt.