History of Parish and School
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PARISH & CHURCH
Compiled by Fr Marcus Stock
The Catholic Church in Coleshill before the Reformation
The history of the Catholic Church in this area is rich indeed and could not be covered in any great detail in this short account. However, it is important that we are conscious that the faith we profess in Coleshill today has its foundations in the seeds of faith passed on by Catholic Christians since Christianity first came to this land.
In terms of recorded history we know that Coleshill formed part of the possessions of St Edward, King and Confessor, and of William the Conqueror, from whom Geoffrey de Clinton is supposed to have purchased it. Coleshill then passed into the Montfort family, and after the execution of Simon de Montfort in 1495, their estates were confiscated, Coleshill was granted to Simon Digby. The latter’s widow bequeathed rents and possessions in Coleshill as stipends for Masses and prayers to be offered for the souls of the faithful departed. During the reign of Henry VIII, these were abolished but a part of the proceeds were devoted to the maintenance of
a school.
The now Church of England parish church at Coleshill, extensively restored 1868-69, was originally a Pre-Reformation Catholic church and is dedicated to St Peter & St Paul. It anciently belonged to the nuns of Markyate in Bedfordshire and consists of a chancel, nave of seven bays, aisles, north and south porches and an embattled western tower, with pinnacles and a spire that was restored in 1887. Part of the canopied sedilia remain and there is an interesting commemorative brass to William Abel, the priest of Coleshill in 1500, depicting a priest in Mass vestments and holding a chalice with the Sacred Host above. The massive baptismal font is Norman and singularly beautiful. The church is rich in monuments of the Clintons and Digbys, the former being represented by recumbent effigies of knights in chain mail. About three miles southeast of Coleshill was Maxstoke Priory, of which some ruins still remain. It was founded in 1336 by Sir William de Clinton as a monastery for the Canons Regular of St
Augustine (Augustinians).