The Churches of Coventry | Page 5

generally aiming at monopoly and the exclusion of outsiders, were later
developments. But without doubt they were public-spirited bodies
according to their lights, maintaining schools (as at Stratford-on-Avon)
hospitals and almshouses, and giving freely on all occasions of public
importance. By pageants too, they contributed to the happiness and
amusement of the people as well as by the presentation of Mysteries

and Moralities, to their instruction and edification. But in the eyes of
the Reformers, or of grasping courtiers, all this went for nothing when
weighed against the heinous offence of supporting chaplains to pray for
deceased members and so (6 Edward VI) they were suppressed along
with the chantries, and their property confiscated, "the very meanest
and most inexcusable of the plunderings which threw discredit on the
Reformation."
Here, the city bought back everything which had belonged to the
Trinity and Corpus Christi Gilds, with various almshouses and the
possessions of the majority of the Chantries; while previously at the
Dissolution it had bought the abbey-orchard, and mill, and the house
and church of the Grey Friars.
In 1340 Edward III granted Licence to the Coventry men to form a
Merchants' Gild with leave "to make chantries, bestow alms, do other
works of piety and constitute ordinances touching the same." This was
St. Mary's Gild. Two years later that of St. John Baptist was formed
and a year later that of St. Katherine, the three being united into the
Trinity Gild before 1359. Of the chapel (now St. John's church) begun
in 1344 by the St. John's Gild and the "fair and stately structure for
their feasts and meetings called St Mary Hall" built in 1394 by the
united Gilds more will be said later (p. 81 and p. 97). The end of the
fourteenth century and the fifteenth brought to Coventry a full share in
the events and movements of the time. In 1396 the duel between
Hereford and Norfolk was to have taken place on Gosford Green
(adjoining the city) and Richard II made the fatal mistake of banishing
both combatants. At the Priory in 1404 Henry IV held his Parliament
known, from the fact that no lawyers were summoned to it, as the
"Parliamentum Indoctorum." Setting itself in opposition to ecclesiastics,
it proposed to supply the King's needs by taxing church-property. As in
the matter of the city walls, the church contrived to avoid bearing its
share of the public burdens and the chronicler ends thus: "Much ado
there was; but to conclude, the worthy Archbishop (viz. Tho. Arundell)
standing stoutly for the good of the Church, preserved it at that time
from the storm impending." One branch of his argument is noteworthy,
that as the confiscation of the alien priories had not enriched the King

by half a mark (courtiers having extorted or begged them out of his
hands), so it would be were he to confiscate the temporalities of the
monasteries. Henry VIII had reason to acknowledge the fulfilment of
the prophecy.
Soon after this, in 1423, Coventry showed its sympathy for Lollardry
when John Grace an anchorite friar came out of his cell and preached
for five days in the "lyttell parke." He was opposed by the prior of St.
Mary's and by a Grey Friar who however were attacked and nearly
killed by the mob.
The royal visits which earned for Coventry the title which it still bears
as its motto 'Camera principis' were frequent in this century. In 1436
we hear of Henry VI being there, and in 1450 he was the guest of the
monastery and after hearing mass at St. Michael's Church presented to
it for an altar-hanging the robe of gold tissue he was wearing. The
record in the Corporation Leet book is interesting enough to quote:
The King, then abydeng stille in the seide Priory, upon Mich'as even
sent the clerke of his closet to the Churche of Sent Michel to make redy
ther hys clossette, seying that the Kynge on Mich'as day wolde go on
p'cession and also her ther hygh masse. The Meyre and his counsell,
remembreng him in this mater, specially avysed hem to pray the
Byshoppe of Wynchester to say hygh masse afore the Kynge. The
Byshoppe so to do agreed withe alle hys herte; and, agayne the Kynges
comeng to Sent Michel Churche, the Meyre and his Peres, cladde in
skarlet gowns, wenton unto the Kynges Chambar durre, ther abydeng
the Kynges comeng. The Meyre then and his peres, doeng to the Kyng
due obeysaunse ... toke his mase and bere it afore the Kynge all his said
bredurn goeng afore the Meyre til he com to Sent Michels and brought
the Kynge to his closette. Then the seyde Byshoppe, in his pontificals
arayde, with all the prestes and clerkes of the seyde Churche