Southam in 1843
Southam is in the Southam division of Knightlow hundred, 83 miles north-west of the General Post-Office, London, through Daventry, 9 miles east by south of Warwick and 12 south-east of Coventry. The parish has an area of 2,770 acres; and contained, in 1831, 289 houses, namely, 280 inhabited and 9 uninhabited with a population of 282 families, or 1,256 persons : about one-third of the population was agricultural. The town lies in a valley, watered by a small stream which flows into the Itchen, or Ichene, just below the town. It contains a number of modern well-built houses. The church is of various dates ; some portions are of decorated English architecture, with some good windows ; other parts are of perpendicular character, some parts very good, others inferior. It has a western tower and spire. Some of the tracery has been much mutilated. There are a place of worship for Baptists, a free school, a self-supporting dispensary, and an infirmary for diseases of the eye and ear. The last is an ornamental building of perpendicular character. The market is on Monday, and is a good corn-market ; there are several yearly fairs for sheep, horned cattle, and horses. There are two mineral-springs near the town.
The living is a rectory, of the clear yearly value of £534, with a glebe-house, in the rural deanery of Marton, in the archdeaconry of Coventry, and in the diocese of Worcester. There were in the parish, in 1833, two day and Sunday national schools, chiefly supported by endowment or contributions, with 97 children, namely, 67 boys and 30 girls; giving about one in thirteen of the population under daily instruction : these schools were also Sunday-schools, and were attended on Sunday by 101 children, viz. 73 boys and 28 girls, or one in twelve of the population. |