Extract From: "A Topographical Dictionary of England, Volume 4, SAB - ZEN. 1835"
STRETTON-UPON-DUNSMORE: (All Saints), a parish, in the Rugby division of the
hundred of Knightlow, county of Warwick, 6 miles (S.E. by E.) from Coventry,
containing 817 inhabitants.
The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry of
Coventry, and diocese of Lichfield and Coventry, net income £438; patrons, Rev.
H.T. Powell, the present vicar, for one turn, and Fauquier, Esq., for two;
impropriaters, several proprietors of land. The late Rev. William Daniel,
formerly vicar of the parish, bequeathed £4000, subject to the life of his wife,
to the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, and to the Archdeacon of Coventry, in
trust for building a new church, the contracts for which were signed March 24th
1835.
This place derives its name from its situation on the Roman Fosse-Way, and
nearly in the centre of what was formerly Dunsmore Heath. The parish extends for
about two miles and a half on the London and Hollyhead Road, and the village is
situated about half a mile to the south-west of it.
There is no manufacture
appropriated to this place, but many of the women and children are employed in
preparing the silk for the riband-weavers of Coventry. Plaister of Paris is also
made here from the gypsum of which a considerable stratum is found in the
parish; and large quantities of lime are burnt from limestone which abounds
here.
The nearest canal is at Brinklow about five miles distant.
A National
school for boys and girls is supported from the proceeds of land bequeathed by
Mr. William Herbert, in 1694, for charitable uses, of which he appropriated
£10.10 to the master for teaching poor children, and the remainder for
apprenticing one poor boy every two years; and a Sunday school for children of
Stretton and Princethorpe is supported by subscription.
Several sums have been
left by unknown individuals for repairing the Church, for poor widows, and for
distribution among the poor generally. There is a spring strongly impregnated
with lime, which will incrust rough substances with limestone formation, if left
in the water for some length of time.
In this parish was Brandon Castle,
supposed to have been founded either by Geoffrey de Clinton, or by Norman de
Verdune, who had married the daughter of that nobleman. During the rebellion of
Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, who then held Kenilworth Castle against
Henry III, his followers, understanding that John de Verdune had a commission
from the King to raise forces in Worcestershire to oppose them, assaulted and
destroyed his castle. It was however , rebuilt by Theobald de Verdune, his
successor, who had the privilege of court leet and gallows, with assize of bread
and beer, to all of which, in the reign of Edward I, he claimed prescriptive
right, which was allowed: the only remains of the castle are the moat and some
heaps of rubbish.
On the summit of a hill in the hamlet of Princethorpe, by the
side of the ancient Fosse-Way, several Roman coins have been found, but none of
them of any particular note. At Knightlow Hill, on the boundary of the parish,
is an ancient stone called Knightlow Cross, one of the oldest memorials of
feudal tenure existing. On this stone certain fines are annually paid by the
surrounding parishes, among which is a certain rent called "Wroth money" or
"Swart penny", due to the lord of the hundred, which must be paid every
Martinmas-day before sunrise; the party paying it must go three times round the
cross, saying "The Wrath money", and then deposit it in the hole of the cross
before good witnesses, under a penalty of forfeiting 30 shillings and a white
bull.