RUGBY, Warwickshire, a marketetown and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Rugby, is situated on an eminence near the left bank of the river Avon, in 52° 22' N. 1st, 1° 15' W. long., distant 16 miles N.E. by E. from Warwick, 83 miles N.W. from London by road, and by the North-Western railway. The population of the town of Rugby in 1851 was 6317. The living is a rectory iu the nrch deaconry of Coventry and diocese of Worcester. The parish is under the management of a Local Board of Health. Rugby Poor-Law Union contains 41 parishes and townships, with an area of 80,755 acres, and a population in 1851 of 23,477.
Rugby had a castle in the middle ages, of which only the earth works remain. The town is lighted with gas and paved. The importance of Rugby is chiefly derived from its grammar-school, founded in 1567 by Lawrence Sheriff, a shopkeeper in London, who was a native of the locality. The school buildings include a quad rangle, ineloeing a court 90 feet long by 75 feet wide, bounded on three sides by open cloisters. The buildings are in the Elizabethan style, of white brick, with the angles, cornices, and dressings to the openings and windows, of Attleborongla atone. The chapel contains the monuments of Dr. James, formerly bead-master, under whom the school first rose to great eminence ; of Dr. Wool, one of his successors in office; and of the late Dr. Arnold, under whose mastership, iu mmu recent times.the celebrity of the school was considerably auguieuted. The school, which was attended in 1854 by 400 boys, is under the care of a had-master and 12 assistant-masters, and has 21 exhibitions of 601. per annum, each tenable for seven yearn. The endowment
is estimated to produce 50001. per annum. Attached to the school is a fine play-ground of eight acres. Rugby parish church poas.sses little architectural interest; it Las • square western tower. St. 51althew'e church was built and endowed in 1841; a new church dedicated to the Holy Trinity, has just been erected. The Wesleyan Methodists, Baptists, and Roman Catholics have places of worship. There are also the Elborow school, founded iu the 18th century by Richard Elborow, Esq.; the Parochial schools, built In 1830; an Infant school ; a literary institute, founded in 1847; a savings bank ; a college for the Instruction of the deaf and dumb belonging to the higher ranks of life ; and two ranges of almshouses Rugby holds an important place in the system of railway COM.. municstion, being the point of junction of several lines of railway. The London and North-Western, the North-Midland, the Leamineton and Warwick, the Trent Valley, and the Rugby and Stamford lines meet here. The North-Western station is very exteusive, and has recently been enlarged by additional buildings. An iron-foundry gives employment to same of the inhabitants. Saturday is the ordinary market-day; a corn-market I. held on Tuesday. There are 13 horse and cattle fairs in the course of the year, one of which, held In November, hats for eight days. There are two cheese and wool fairs. A county court is held in Rugby. The Oxford canal passes near the town.