Coventry Art and Artists

Well done Helen - as always! I was about to link to this image from a Historic Coventry memories page....

Rob, this Forum should be called the Brains Trust (a bit before your time!)

ROTFLMAO I'm not sure that I can take credit. It's cropped up before and I don't think that I found it. But having looted it from here I set about pinpointing each building. One of the giveaways is the Catholic church. Yes Rob, that picture was an excellent starting point to slot the painting into position. Almost the same angle. I'll be honest, even I haven't read the entire back catalogue of Historic Coventry stuff and I've forgotten a lot of what I've read, or at least where I found it. The truth is out there... and often in here too.

The painting link references the first Catholic Church - like you Helen I forget what I have already digested as there is soooo much great info on here now. Which was the Church then?

The church is the unpleasantly green building on the right with a cross. I'm not sure which side or both the church occupied. One for Heathite I think. It would have been about 75/76 when numbering came along. My gut instinct is that both sides were part of it.

Did not know about that - I was brought up Catholic and my mum still attends St Osburg's although nearly all our weddings, christenings and funerals are at All Souls. From 1707 there was a Franciscan mission in Coventry The mission at that date also had the use of houses in Little Park Street and Smithford Street. In 1775 you could have attended Mass at the 'Mass House' 74 & 75 Little Park Street. The first priest to celebrate Mass there was a Franciscan, Fr Walmsely, and he was succeeded by other of the English Friars Minor. The Franciscans handed the mission in Coventry to the Benedictines in 1803. The 'Mass House' was sold when the owner died in 1806. Fr Dawber bought land in Hill Street and on 8th December 1807 the Church of St Mary and St Laurence was consecrated, the first Catholic Church in Coventry after the reformation. This was replaced in 1843 by St. Osburg's.

Ah, excellent tie up. I don't know which house on Smithford Street they were using but the 1807 church on Hill Street was the one I posted about the other day on the Hill Street topic. It's very satisfying when these things click together.

Hi, here's a little from the 1874 directory. and from the 1921 directory.

Thanks Heathite. Clearly all of the Catholic mini churches had gone before then. The church on LPS reverted to two properties. Interestingly JB Shelton lived on the site of the Roebuck.

Years ago I worked with a talented artist, Herbert Vincent at Hawker Siddeley. I believe he was a member of one or two local art societies. Anyone heard of him or seen any of his works?

Thank you for showing the 1921 Spennell's Directory page for Little Park Street. I found my grandfather William Charles Smith at number 8 Court 20. This court was Little Palace Yard, which has its own section on the Forum. Edited by Midland Red, 28th Oct 2019 4:53 pm (Copied to Little Palace Yard thread)

I don't recognise the name but as with music, I'm more interested in the work than who did it. There is someone who is painting from old Coventry photos, which are good but confusing because they look old but aren't. Might that be him?

Thanks for the reply Helen. I remember a couple of fighter aircraft pictures he painted and a few landscapes. A few of his co-workers bought pictures from him: one confided in me that whilst the pictures were good, he hoped one day that they'd be worth something. I last saw Bert around 1980 and he'd be about 60, maybe 65 then, so he's likely long gone by now.

David Gee, 1849.