England

Coventry is a city in the West Midlands of England that was established in medieval times.  The Romans had created roads and communities nearby, but settlement at Coventry happened after the Saxons immigrated to England when the Romans left.  The name of Coventry may have come from “Cofa’s trēow” indicating a specific tree for a landowner named Cofa.  A Saxon nunnery was established in the area around 700 A.D.   It was later destroyed by the Danes in 1016 A.D.  and then replaced with a monastery by the Earl of Mercia, Leofric, and his wife, Lady Godiva, in 1043 A.D.  

The legend of Lady Godiva originated in Coventry.  According to the legend Lady Godiva was concerned about the tax burden on the poor, and she appealed to her husband to reduce the taxes.  He refused and she persisted until one day he gave his word that if she rode a horse through town completely naked that he would do as she asked.  He was joking because he knew that she would never do something like that, but she took him at his word.  She told the villagers to remain indoors at a certain day and time and ordered that no one should look out their windows.  At the appointed time she removed her clothes and rode a horse through town with only her long hair for a covering.  One man named Tom was tempted to look and legend says he went blind.  He was ever after known as Peeping Tom.   No one knows if this actually happened, but the legend of Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom became part of Coventry’s culture.

The proximity of the town to the River Sherbourne and the Forest of Arden made it an ideal location with abundant resources of water, timber and stone.  By the 13th Century, Coventry had become a center of trade for many textiles, especially wool.  The town’s prosperity relied on the dyers who made “Coventry Blue” cloth that was very popular throughout Europe.  The saying, “true blue”, is thought to have originated from Coventry meaning “to hold fast or true”.  Coventry became a political and religious center for the Church of England and the Royal Court.  In the early 1800’s, Coventry became a center for silk and ribbon weaving, and at the peak of business in 1857 there were about 25,000 people employed in the trade.

• Sarah Bateman