St Mary's Guildhall

It is still there if you ever make the trip back JW.

Godiva and stained glass in St Mary's Guildhall.

Coventry Society on the kitchen refurbish More pictures

Helen. I also have a collection of snaps I've taken like this one of inside the strong room when I closed the door - locks at the back of the vault door

Very nice pic dougie and just the out of the way image I'm looking for. I'm guessing that it was the door of the Treasury. It used to have three ornate chests with the guilds' goodies.

I have been watching Michael Wood's Story of England on BBC4. He is the historian of Kibworth village in Leics having lands owned by Merton College Oxford. Imagine my surprise when he is seen with the archivist in St Mary's Hall with a record that shows that a peasant (villein) from Kibworth named Brown rose to be a draper (mercer), came to live in Coventry in Earl St and traded there. A descendant named Brown moved to London but was a member of the Trinity Guild in Coventry. He was invited to be Mayor of the city in Coventry but because of his commitments of trade in London seems to have refused the honour. This is recorded in the Coventry Leet Book. Good coverage inside St Mary's and also the original Leet Book is produced for Wood to view and read.

It's a good series that. Is the archivist he talks to David McGrory?

Yes Helen, I believe so. I met him once but some years back now.

It was an excellent series Helen - Michael Wood is a genuine and talented historian, not just a TV presenter like so many others are. I'm always impressed by his ability to fluently read the Olde English, which just looks like another language in another alphabet to me! Amusingly though, when he entered the Guildhall, he introduced "David McCrory", with a 'C' !!

I think you've worked out by now that spelling isn't my strong point and names and funnily enough dates. So nobody should let me anywhere near history. Off topic - my sister is making videos of our family tree, in a Who Do You Think You Are style format. She watched that Wood series several times to understand how to make things visually interesting.

Oh my, no, it wasn't you who got it wrong Helen - his surname actually is McGrory - it was Michael Wood who incorrectly introduced him as David McCrory!

I was out of the room when they entered the Guildhall so I missed that nuance of the 'C' for 'G' but knew it was in fact 'G'.

More Medieval glass from Coventry