Holy Trinity Church and Bell Tower

Hello everyone, I must begin by saying what a fantastic site this is! I have spent the day reading fascinating page after fascinating page. However I do have a question. I remember being told as a child that the spire of Holy Trinity Church isn't the original and that the former spire had in fact collapsed and killed someone. Does anyone know the truth and have any knowledge of when this might have occurred and if it did, what did the original spire look like? Thanks Darren

Hi Darren, First of all, many thanks for such kind words about my website - much appreciated! I don't know very much about the Spire of Holy Trinity, but what little I'd gleaned I put hidden well away about half way down my page about that church - https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=trinity-ch. To save you going there, this is what I wrote.... "The current spire is much younger than the rest of the church. It is 237 feet high and was erected in 1667 to replace an older one that collapsed in 1665 during a storm, sadly killing a young boy." Not much. but it's all I know! Thanks again, Rob

I was in Coventry Register Office once and read a leaflet about facts related to Coventry (I don't remember the name of the leaflet). But in this leaflet it does mention the young boy who was sadly killed when the spire collapsed. I think the leaflet said the young boy was buried in the churchyard - of Holy Trinity. Hope this helps.

I've been reading about the Doom Painting in Holy Trinity and thinking about the effect it must have had on the poor churchgoers.... people being doomed to eternal hell fire for even minor offences. It seems there was an earthquake in Coventry shortly before it was painted and all thoughts turned to the Day of Judgment. Does anyone have any additional information on this painting other than found in the following URLs? LINK 1 LINK 2 Thanks for your attention. Barry

Not knowing the date of the earthquake my sister saw last week a lithograph from 1870s of Holy Trinity in a second-hand shop in Earlsdon, with scaffolding around the spire. Your theory sounds plausible, as people I have found don't think first and jump to conclusions frightening themselves, then shouting evil and quick to blame others.

Thanks, Morgana, for the information, especially the date 1870s on the lithograph that shows scaffolding around the spire. A much earlier date (1665) was when the original spire blew down in a storm. It was rebuilt in 1667 and the height increased by several feet to 237 feet. Would be nice to see such an image posted. Can anyone confirm the date of the earthquake. please? Does it coincide with the 1870s date? Thanks

So far I haven't seen any evidence in the newspapers 1870ish for any earthquake, as a matter of interest I did find an article for a large one on 17th December 1896 but no major damage in Coventry.

There were quite a few earthquakes reported in the Midlands in the 1800s. Newspapers reported them in 1819, 1852, 1863, 1868, 1888 and the one in 1896. The effects of this was reported from Bridport on the south coast, Bristol, Worcester, Coventry, Bedworth, Leicester, Derby, Lichfield and up to Chester and Liverpool.

On a slightly different idea of the painting. If you type into Google history of Trinity Church, it comes up with the restorer of the interior of Trinity Church in 1854 which was George Gilbert Scott. Looking at his family background, son of a clergyman and biblical commentator, grandson of Thomas Scott, also his mindset of previous works he had designed, workhouses was his first, other famous churches, he also designed the Martyrs' Memorial, St Giles Oxford, which was intended as a rebuke to those very high church. If you click on his name in the history of Trinity Church you can read this and more about George Gilbert Scott.

Found it, after Trinity Church had burned down then rebuilt they painted it in bright colours, then in 1430 the mediaeval painting was painted later to be covered up then uncovered recently painstakingly worked on to remove the covering which covered it.

I would like to thank all HC Forum members who responded to my enquiry. Especially for the images and research. Appreciate your help.

You're welcome, when I typed into Google Historian Trinity Church it came up with this info and said the painting was of the last resurrection. Hope this helps what you were looking for.

When you start to talk about the work of George Gilbert Scott it is very difficult to separate him from Coventry's foremost craftsman of the 19th century, Francis Skidmore. Whilst Gilbert Scott came up with the designs it was usually Skidmore and his team of workers in Alma Street who produced the finished work. It can be argued that Skidmore often altered Gilbert Scott's ideas to reflect his own interpretation of what the job required. A lot of the metalwork in Holy Trinity, lights etc. came from Alma Street as did the Hereford and Lichfield cathedral screens and as mentioned before, the canopy of the Albert Memorial.