voured by many benefactions in after periods. At the Dissolution the revenues were stated at 2541. 1s. 8d. per ann. The abbot and monks received pensions during life. Considerable fragments of the building yet linger, in a progressive and picturesque state of decay.

The Town of NUNEATON appears entirely indebted for its early prosperity to the foundation of a monastery, in the time of King Stephen. This religious house was founded by Robert, Earl of Leicester, and was of the order of Fontevrault, in Poictiers; which order possessed the peculiarity of comprehending both monks and nuns within the pale of one establishment. It is certain that there was, at one period, a Prior resident at Nuneaton, but it is not ascertained that he had any monks in his train, The prioress had superior rule in the house.

This monastery was well endowed, and the nuns obtained, in the 10th of Henry III. the grant of a weekly market. In the 23d of the same reign they procured a charter for a yearly fair. On the dissolution of religious houses, in the reign of Henry VIII. the revenues were stated at 2901. 15s. Old. The prioress and the whole of the nuns were favoured with pensions for life. A portion of the building, comprehending one entire arch and large fragments of walls, yet remains, as a melancholy memorial, at the north-west extremity of the town, in the adjacency of the road leading towards Atherstone.

The church of Nuneaton is a respectable Gothic building, though by no means sufficiently spacious for the accommodation of the inhabitants. Here is a freeschool, founded in the 6th of Edward VI. towards the establishment of which that king gave three closes of ground, lying within the liberties of Coventry, and formerly belonging to the Trinity Gild. This town derives considerable benefit from the weaving of ribbons, and has a weekly market (which is, however, not largely attended) and three annual fairs.

The number of houses and inhabitants is thus stated, in the returns

G

turns under the Population Act for 1811:-houses inhabited, 1095; houses uninhabited, six; total of persons, 4,947.

CALDECOTE-HALL is rather more than two miles from Nuneaton, on the north-west. A moiety of the manor of Caldecote was procured by the Purefoy family, in the reign of Edward VI. and by William Purefoy the house was chiefly rebuilt, in the early part of the seventeenth century. The estate was afterwards purchased by Sir Nathan Wright, lord-keeper of the great seal; whose son, William, sold it to Robert Princeps, Esq. and his son conveyed it to Thomas Fisher, Esq. By the latter gentleman considerable additions and improvements were made while desirable attention was still paid to the original and venerable features of the edifice.

This mansion is memorable for a most spirited defence made by a Mr. George Abbott, against an assault of the royalists, in the war of the seventeenth century. On the 28th of August, 1642, the manor-house of Caldecote was attacked by the Princes Rupert and Maurice, at the head of eighteen troops of horse. Mr. Abbott, (who had married the daughter of Colonel Purefoy,) assisted only by eight men, besides his mother and her maids, defended the building, as it would appear successfully, against the utmost fury of the assailants; and it is not known that any individual of this small garrison was hurt during the conflict.†

The Church is a plain Gothic structure, containing several monuments to the Purefoy family; and, on the south side of the chancel, is a tablet commemorating the virtues and intrepidity of Mr. Abbott. It is there stated that he served his country in two parliaments, and was the author of some religious and political tracts. He died on the 2d of February, 1648.

• Gough's Additions to Camden.

The

+ This curious instance of family intrepidity is not noticed by the histo. rians of the civil war. The above particulars are chiefly derived from the inscription on the monument of Mr. Abbott, in Caldecote church. Tradition adds, that the pewter dishes and plates, used in the household, were hastily. melted into bullets.

The parish of SHUSTOKE will be viewed with interest, as the birth-place of the celebrated antiquary, Sir William Dugdale.

This distinguished writer, to whose historical labours Warwickshire is so much indebted, was born at the rectory-house of Shustoke (a house rebuilt by his father, John Dugdale, Esq. who held a lease of the impropriate rectory,) on the 12th of September, 1605. He received the rudiments of education at the school of Nether-Whitacre, and afterwards removed to the freeschool of Coventry, where he remained till nearly the age of fifteen. On leaving school, he was fortunate in finding a father anxious to cultivate in his bosom a love of study; and to the early lessons of his parent, who directed his attention particularly to law and history, we may presume much of the future taste of this eminent antiquary must be ascribed.

Mr. William Dugdale married at the early age of eighteen; and, in 1625, he purchased the manor of Blythe, in the parish of Shustoke, to the mansion on which estate he shortly removed with his family. His literary pursuits were encouraged by several antiquaries who resided in the vicinity; and, at the instance of their advice, and supported by their encouragement, he undertook his elaborate historical work respecting this county. His conspicuous talents soon increased the circle of his friends; and Thomas, Earl of Arundel, then Earl-Marshal of England, createdhim, in 1638, a pursuivant at arms extraordinary; and, in the following year, he was made rouge-croix-pursuivant in ordinary. In obedience to the duties of this appointment he was present at many important scenes during the civil war. By him the castle of Banbury, the City of Coventry, and the Town of Warwick, were summoned to surrender; and on him, also, devolved the unpleasant office of proclaiming the garrisons of the two latter places traitors to the Crown. He attended the king at the battle of Edge-Hill; and afterwards waited on the court at Oxford. But, wherever he went, and however great the distraction of the times, it is observable that he was constant to the leading pursuit of his life, and was still making collections for one or other of his great

works.

works. In 1644 he was created Chester-Herald; and, on the Restoration, was advanced to the office of Norroy, King of Arms. In 1677, he was appointed Garter, principal King of Arms, and was honoured with knighthood. The fortune of Sir William

Dugdale was not large; and he appears to have received this latter mark of distinction with much reluctance. The remainder of his life was chiefly divided between London and Blythe-Hall. He died, in his chair, at Blythe-Hall, about one o'clock in the afternoon of Feb. 10, 1685-6, in consequence of an illness arising from a severe cold. Sir William had several children, but only one son attained maturity: this was John, afterwards Norroy King of Arms, and knighted by James II. One daughter was married to the celebrated Elias Ashmole. The works of Sir William Dugdale are numerous, and extremely valuable. The most important are-The Antiquities of Warwickshire; The Monasticon Anglicanum; The Baronage of England; The History of Embanking and Draining; and the History of St. Paul's Cathedral. There are many MSS. by Sir William Dugdale, chiefly on historical subjects, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

The Church of Shustoke is a handsome structure, erected in the time of Edward II. The remains of Sir William Dugdale and his Lady, lie in a vault on the north side of the chancel. Over the tomb is a mural tablet, bearing a Latin inscription to the memory of the deceased, and embellished with the family There are also other monuments to the Dugdale family; among wicch is that of Sir Johu, the son of the antiquary.

arms.

BLYTHE-HALL, the former residence of Sir William Dugdale, was purchased by that eminent writer of Sir Walter Aston, in 1625. This is a spacious and respectable seat, but placed in a low situation, on the border of the river Blythe, at the distance of one mile from the town of Coleshill. Some interesting portraits descended with this house to the present representative of

the

Margery, second daughter of John Huntbach, of Sewal, in the parish of Bishbury, Staffordshire, Gent. She died on the 18th of December, 1681, aged 75.

the family; among which are good half-lengths of Sir William Dugdale, and his son-in-law, Elias Ashmole. Blythe-Hall is now the residence of Mrs. Dugdale, mother of D. S. Dugdale, Esq. one of the members for the county of Warwick.

MAXSTOKE-CASTLE is about one mile from Blythe-Hall, ou the south-east. This fiue structure was chiefly erected by William de Clinton, Earl of Huntingdon, in the reign of Edward III. and continued to be the chief seat of the ancient family of Clinton until the reign of Henry IV. when it was passed, in exchange for certain manors in Northamptonshire, to Humphrey, Earl of Stafford, afterwards Duke of Buckingham. On the attainder of Henry, the grandson of this duke, the castle was committed to the care of an officer appointed by the Crown; and it may be ob served that King Richard III. visited this strong hold, when on his march towards Nottingham, preparatory to the fatal battle of Bosworth. From the Staffords the estate, after remaining for some time with the Crown, passed to the Comptons; and of them it was purchased, in the reign of Elizabeth, by the LordKeeper Egerton; by whom it was again sold to Thomas Dilke, Esq. In this family it remains at the present day, and is now the residence of Mrs. Dilke.

The castle is built in the form of a parallelogram, and is encompassed by a moat. At each corner is an hexagonal tower, with embattled parapets. The entrance is by an august and machiolated gateway, strengthened on each side by a tower of hexagonal form.* The gates are covered with plates of iron; and the marks of the discarded portcullis are yet visible. These gates were erected by Humphrey, Duke of Buckingham; and they are adorned with his arms, his own coat being impaled with the bearings of his wife, a daughter of the house of Nevil, and supported by two antelopes, assumed in right of his mother, who was one of the coheirs of Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester. To these are added the burning nave, and the knot, the badges of his own ancestry.

Represented in the annexed plate.

A por