Southam, Warwickshire

Description
Southam, a small market-town, the head of a poor-law union, petty sessional division and county court district, and a parish in Warwickshire. The town stands on a branch of the river Ichene, near the Warwick and Napton and Oxford Canals, 2 1/2 miles NE of Southam Road and Harbury station on the Oxford and Leamington section of the G.W.R., and 7 1/4 ESE of Leamington. It was known at Domesday as Sucham, and gave a night's lodging to Charles I. and his two sons on the eve of the battle of Edgehill. It is a seat of petty sessions and county courts, and has a post, money order, and telegraph office (S.O.), two banks, a court-house, an institute, a police station, a workhouse, a mineral spring similar to the waters of Leamington, and another spring with intensely cold water. Blue lias lime and cement are manufactured. A weekly market is held on Monday, and a fair on the first Monday of every month. The church is partly Decorated, was repaired and partly rebuilt in 1854, and has a beautiful broach spire. The parish comprises 3118 acres; population, 1738. There is a parish council consisting of eight members. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Worcester; net value, £488 with residence. Patron, the Crown. There are Congregational and Primitive Methodist chapels, and a Roman. Catholic convent with a small chapel, and an orphanage.