THE CHURCHES OF COVENTRY ***

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[Illustration: COVENTRY, THE THREE SPIRES.]

THE CHURCHES OF COVENTRY

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE CITY & ITS MEDIEVAL REMAINS

BY

FREDERIC W. WOODHOUSE

WITH XL ILLUSTRATIONS

[Illustration: ARMS OF COVENTRY]

1909

BELL'S CATHEDRAL SERIES

COVENTRY

PREFACE

The principal authorities for the history of Coventry and its churches have been Dugdale's "Antiquities of Warwickshire" and the "Illustrated Papers and the History and Antiquities of the City of Coventry," by Thomas Sharp, edited by W.G. Fretton (1871). Besides these the many papers by Mr. Fretton in the Transactions of the Birmingham and Midland Institute and other Societies, and the "History and Antiquities of Coventry" by Benjamin Poole (1870) have been the main sources of historical information. The Author is, however, responsible for the architectural opinions and descriptions, which are mainly the outcome of a lifelong acquaintance with the city and its buildings, fortified by several weeks of study and investigation recently undertaken.

He desires to acknowledge his deep obligations to the Vicars of the several churches for leave to examine, measure and photograph the buildings in their charge; to Mr. J. Oldrid Scott for the loan of drawings of St. Michael's; to Mr. A. Brown, Librarian of the Coventry Public Library for advice and help in making use of the store of topographical material under his care; to Mr. Owen, Verger of St. Michael's and Mr. Chapman, Verger of Holy Trinity, for help in various directions, and to Mr. Wilfred Sims for his energy and care in taking most of the photographs required for illustration.

The other illustrations are reproduced from drawings made by the author.

CONTENTS

MONASTERY AND CITY

THE RUINS OF THE PRIORY AND CATHEDRAL CHURCH

ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH: CHAPTER I. HISTORY OF THE CHURCH II. THE EXTERIOR III. THE INTERIOR

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH: CHAPTER I. HISTORY OF THE CHURCH II. THE EXTERIOR III. THE INTERIOR

ST. JOHN BAPTIST'S CHURCH

THE GREY FRIARS' CONVENT (CHRIST CHURCH)

THE WHITE FRIARS

ST. MARY HALL

THE CARTHUSIAN MONASTERY

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS:

COVENTRY, THE THREE SPIRES

ARMS OF THE TOWN

VIEW FROM THE TOP OF BISHOP STREET

COOK STREET GATE

SEAL OF THE PRIORY

WEST END OF THE PRIORY CHURCH

REMAINS OF THE NORTH-WEST TOWER IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

ST. MICHAEL'S FROM THE NORTH

ST. MICHAEL'S FROM THE NORTH-WEST

INTERIOR OF THE TOWER FROM BELOW

THE WEST PORCH

SOUTH PORCH FROM ST. MARY HALL

SOUTH-WEST DOORWAY

INTERIOR OF ST. MICHAEL'S FROM THE WEST

TOWER ARCH

BAY OF NAVE, NORTH SIDE

INTERIOR FROM THE SOUTH DOOR

THE CHOIR FROM ST. LAWRENCE'S CHAPEL

POPPY HEAD, LADY CHAPEL

MISERERE, LADY CHAPEL

CHEST IN NORTH AISLE

THE NETHERMYL TOMB

THE SWILLINGTON TOMB

ALMS-BOX

HOLY TRINITY FROM THE NORTH (ABOUT 1850)

PLAN OF TRINITY CHURCH

INTERIOR OF HOLY TRINITY, FROM THE WEST

NORTH SIDE OF NAVE-EASTERN BAYS

PULPIT

ARCHWAY BETWEEN THE NORTH PORCH AND ST. THOMAS'S CHAPEL

ALMS-BOX

CHURCH OF ST. JOHN BAPTIST

PLAN

INTERIOR

CLEARSTORY WINDOWS

THE SPIRE OF CHRIST CHURCH

GREY FRIARS' CHURCH (PLAN OF CROSSING)

ST. MARY HALL

PLAN

PLAN OF ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH

[Illustration: VIEW FROM THE TOP OF BISHOP STREET.]

CHURCHES OF COVENTRY

MONASTERY AND CITY

The opening words of Sir William Dugdale's account of Coventry assert that it is a city "remarkable for antiquity, charters, rights and privileges, and favours shown by monarchs." Though this handbook is primarily concerned with a feature of the city he does not here mention--its magnificent buildings--the history of these is bound up with that of the city. The connection of its great parish churches with the everyday life of the people, though commonly on a narrower stage, is more intimate than is that of a cathedral or an abbey church, but it is to be remembered that without its Monastery Coventry might never have been more than a village or small market town.

We cannot expect the records of a parish church to be as full and complete as those of a cathedral, always in touch through its bishops with the political life of the country and enjoying the services of numerous officials; or as those of a monastery, with its leisured chroniclers ever patiently recording the annals of their house, the doings of its abbots, the dealings of their house with mother church and the outside world, and all its internal life and affairs. In