* * * * * +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: | | | | Inconsistent hyphenation and archaic spelling in the | | original document has been preserved. | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+ * * * * * [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] LONDON GEORGE BELL & SONS 1909 CHISWICK PRESS: CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO. TOOK COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON. 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 3 THE RUINS OF THE PRIORY AND CATHEDRAL CHURCH 16 ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH: CHAPTER I. HISTORY OF THE CHURCH 21 II. THE EXTERIOR 29 III. THE INTERIOR 41 HOLY TRINITY CHURCH: CHAPTER I. HISTORY OF THE CHURCH 61 II. THE EXTERIOR 65 III. THE INTERIOR 69 ST. JOHN BAPTIST'S CHURCH 79