A portion of the interior of this edifice was accidentally destroyed by fire, but the greater part of the ancient building still remains, and is an interesting specimen of the architectural arrangement of the 14th and 15th centuries. Among these apartments are the spacious hall: a large dining room, with a door and chimney ornamented with curious carving; and the venerable chapel. In the walls of the great court are yet remaining the caserns, or lodgments for soldiery.

By William de Clinton, Earl of Huntingdon, was founded at Maxstoke a priory for canons regular of the order of St. Augustin. The endowment was ample, and the revenues were valued, at the dissolution, at 1301. 11s. 8d. per ann. There are large remains of this building; and the ruins are rendered mournfully picturesque by the varietics of evergreen foliage which enwrap them in nearly every direction.

SOLIHULL DIVISION

comprises the following parishes and hamlets: Baddesley-Clinton; Balsall; (hamlet;) Barston; Berkeswell; Bickenhill; Elmdon; Hampton in Arden; Kinwalsey (hamlet;) Knowle (hamlet;) Meriden; Nuthurst (hamlet;) Packington, great; Packington, little; Solihull

SOLIHULL (ordinarily pronounced Silhill) ranks as one of the market towns of this county, but the market is now in a state of absolute disuse. This place wears the tranquil appearance of a large village, and contains little to attract the notice of the examiner, except the church, which is a spacious and handsome building of the cruciform description.

Sir William Dugdale conjectures that the chief parts of the district now comprehended in the parish of Solihull, were known by the name of Ulverlei at the time of the Norman Survey. Here was formerly the chief seat of the barony of Limesie; and the residence of the barons, Dugdale supposes to have occupied a spot at present known by the name of Olton, a small village about two miles from Solihull on the north-west.

From

From the ruins of this baronial residence and its dependent habitations sprung, in the reign of Henry III. the town of Solihull. Grants for a weekly market and a yearly fair were speedily procured; but the town does not appear to have obtained much commercial distinction at any period. The number of houses and inhabitants is thus stated in the returns under the Population Act for 1811: houses inhabited, 518; houses uninhabited, 6; houses then building, 4; total of persons, 2,531.

In the close vicinity of Solihull is MALVERN HALL, the seat of Henry Greswold Lewis, Esq. This desirable mansion is placed ou an elevated site, and is surrounded by spacious grounds.

The extensive parish of HAMPTON in ARDEN involves two hamlets peculiarly deserving of notice.

KNOWLE, OF KNOLL, the nearest of these to the mother church, is a pleasing village, situate, as the name implies, on elevated ground. This lordship was possessed by Eleanor, the consort of Edward I. and, on the death of that queen, it was given, with many others, to the monks of Westminster, on condition of their performing certain pious ceremonies on the Eve of St. Andrew, the day on which the amiable Queen Eleanor's anniversary had usually been kept. About the latter end of the reign of Richard II. Walter Cooke, a churchman of high preferment and repute, erected at his own expense a chapel in the village of Knowle; and in the fourth year of Henry IV. he founded here a chantry of either one or two priests. Retaining his friendly inclinations towards this spot, he procured, in the 14th of the same king, a licence to institute, in conjunction with some other persons, a gild within the chapel; of which fraternity many noble and celebrated men became members.With the concurrence of Elizabeth, the widow of Lord Clinton, he afterwards obtained permission for himself and that lady to found here a college of ten chantry priests. But, at the dissolution of such institutions in the reign of Henry VIII. there were only two chantry priests on this foundation, and the re

venues were stated at no more than 221. 3s. 3d. The income of the gild, supporting three chantry priests, was returned at 291. 14s. 7d.

The chapel is a building of much beauty, consisting of a nave, two aisles, and a chancel. In the south wall are four stone seats, or recesses, beneath embellished arches; and further towards the east, is a handsome piscina. On the north side are seven stalls, and on the south side six. These are ornamented with various

satirical allusions, among which may be noticed an ape holding a bag, and a bear looking at it; a fox sitting, holding an open book, &c.

In the south wall of the south aisle occur a piscina and a locker. Over the rood-loft are some remains of paintings, comprising whole lengths of the Virgin Mary, another saint, and an angel. Several of the pews are embellished with carvings, and in the windows are still preserved some fragments of ancient painted glass *.

In ploughing a field near Knowle, an urn of a dark brown colour was discovered, containing coins of the lower Empire, to the weight of fifteen pounds. †

The hamlet of BALSALL, (often termed TEMPLE BALSALL) was given to the knights templars by Roger de Mowbray; which religious knights erected a church in this place, and constructed here a house as a preceptory, or cell, to their principal mansion, the Temple in London. Besides the manor of Balsall, the knights templars had various other landed possessions in Warwickshire; and their preceptory at Balsall was supported with much splendour until the termination of the order of templars in England, in the reign of Edward II. The knights hospitallers briefly succeeded to the possessions of the templars at Balsall; but it does not appear that they had any preceptory, or residence, at this place. On the dissolution of monasteries, this manor came, An intelligent communication respecting this chapel is inserted in the Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. LXIII. p. 419.

+ Archeol. VII. p. 413.