Holy Trinity Church, Coventry
Encyclopedia
Holy Trinity Church, Coventry is a parish church
in the Church of England
located in Coventry
City Centre, West Midlands
, England
.
Above the chancel arch is probably the most impressive Doom
wall-painting now remaining in an English church.
The church was restored in 1665–1668, and the tower was recased in 1826 by Thomas Rickman
. The east end was rebuilt in 1786 and the west front by Richard Charles Hussey
in 1843.
The inside of the church was restored
by George Gilbert Scott
in 1854.
Further information can be found on the Holy Trinity Church Coventry website (see to the right).
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
located in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
City Centre, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Above the chancel arch is probably the most impressive Doom
Doom (painting)
A Doom is a traditional English term for a painting or other image of the Last Judgment, an event in Christian eschatology. Christ judges souls, and then sends them to either Heaven or Hell...
wall-painting now remaining in an English church.
History
The church dates from the 12th century. It is 59 metres (194 feet) long, and has a spire 72 metres (237 feet) high.The church was restored in 1665–1668, and the tower was recased in 1826 by Thomas Rickman
Thomas Rickman
Thomas Rickman , was an English architect who was a major figure in the Gothic Revival.He was born at Maidenhead, Berkshire, into a large Quaker family, and avoided the medical career envisaged for him by his father, a grocer and druggist; he went into business for himself and married his first...
. The east end was rebuilt in 1786 and the west front by Richard Charles Hussey
Richard Charles Hussey
Richard Charles Hussey, always referred to as R.C. Hussey, was a British architect. He was in partnership with Thomas Rickman from 1835, whose practice he assumed in 1838 with the latter's failing health. -Works:...
in 1843.
The inside of the church was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
by George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
in 1854.
Further information can be found on the Holy Trinity Church Coventry website (see to the right).
Doom painting
The church is famous for its medieval doom painting which was re-discovered and restored in 2002.Organ
The church had a pipe organ which had evolved over a long period of time with work by many builders, the last by Henry Willis and Sons. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.Organ Appeal
Holy Trinity is currently raising money to purchase a new organ, this will cost approximately £600,000, any donation is widely appreciated.History
- 1526: This is the earliest recorded organ, built by John Howe and John Clynmowe of London for £30. In the late 16th century it was dismantled as the Puritan clergy at Holy Trinity disapproved of organs.
- 1631: Samuel Buggs (Vicar), "procured" a replacement instrument.
- 1640s: Puritans back in charge, organ sold for £30.
- 1732: The German Thomas Swarbrick, who also supplied a new organ for Coventry CathedralCoventry CathedralCoventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
(Old Cathedral), built one for Holy Trinity for £600. It was placed upon a gallery erected for it across the Nave and had 2 manuals. - 1829: Swell and pedal added.
- 1855-1861: As part of the George Gilbert Scott restorationVictorian restorationVictorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
of the church, a new organ chamber was built in the westernmost bay of the south chancel aisle. This instrument of 3 manuals plus pedals, was built by Forster and AndrewsForster and AndrewsForster and Andrews was formed by James Alderson Forster and Joseph King Andrews , who had been employees of the London organ builder J. C. Bishop.They opened the business that bore their name in Hull in 1843...
for £800. - 1900: Rebuilt by W. Hill & Sons with some of the old work incorporated; 4 manuals.
- 1923: Electric blowing chest added.
- 1933: J. Charles Lee of Coventry added pneumatic pistons.
- 1961: Rebuilt for £12,200 by the firm of Henry Willis, the organ contained 59 speaking stops, each with 61 pipes, along with 30 couplers and 3 tremolos.
- 2007: Organ was dismantled, due to it being beyond repair. A funding appeal has been launched for a new organ, which will cost approximately £600,000.
List of Organists
- John Barker 1731–1752
- Capel BondCapel BondCapel Bond was an English organist and composer.He was born in Gloucester, the son of William Bond and the younger brother of painter and japanner Daniel Bond . He received his education at the Crypt school with his uncle, Rev...
1752–1790 - William Chater
- Frank Frederick Cuisset ca. 1851 (later organist of Bishop Ryder Church, Birmingham and St. Mary's Church, Selly OakSt. Mary's Church, Selly OakSt. Mary's Church, Selly Oak is a parish church in the Church of England located in Selly Oak, Birmingham.-Background:The parish of St. Mary's was formed out of the parish of St. Laurence's Church, Northfield in 1862...
, Birmingham) - Charles Harry Moody 1899–1902 (later organist of Ripon CathedralRipon CathedralRipon Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds and the mother church of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, situated in the small North Yorkshire city of Ripon, England.-Background:...
) - Christie Green 1912 — 1918 (previously organist of Blackburn Parish ChurchBlackburn CathedralBlackburn Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral Church of Blackburn Saint Mary the Virgin, is a cathedral situated in the heart of Blackburn town centre, in Lancashire, England...
, afterwards organist of St. Margaret's Church, AltrinchamAltrinchamAltrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
, Cheshire) - Harold B. Osmond 1918 – ca. 1921 (formerly organist of St Peters, ThanetSt Peters, ThanetSt Peters is an area of Broadstairs, a town on the Isle of Thanet in Kent. Historically a village, it was outgrown by the long dominant settlement of the two, Broadstairs after 1841. Originally the borough or manor of the church of St...
) - John Barber ca. 1946
- Leonard Tanner B Mus. FRCO. ca.1950 - 1960
- Martyn Lane — Organist and Master of the Choristers — 1965–1975
- Peter Johnson 1975–1979
- Andrew Moodie ca. 1981
- Jeremy FilsellJeremy FilsellJeremy Filsell is an English pianist, organist, and composer.- Biography :Having played piano and organ from a young age, he was a Limpus prize winner for the FRCO examination, which he took when he was 19, and Silver Medallist of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. He studied music at Oxford...
— circa 1981 - Christopher Howard 1981–1990 — Director of Music.
- Indra Hughes 1990–1992 (Organist and Master of the Choristers)
- David Baxter — 1982–1991 — under baton of Christopher Howard and Indra Hughes
- Christopher Howard — Director of Music — 1992 – present day.
List of assistant organists
- Norman Coke-Jephcott 1909–1911
List of Vicars
Dates listed are of appointment, unless otherwise noted.
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John Bryan (minister) -Life:Bryan was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and held the rectory of Barford, near Warwick, but left it to go to Coventry, as vicar of Trinity Church, in 1644. Bryan was appointed by Parliament, and was not cordially welcomed by the vestry.... , 1644 Nathaniel Wanley Nathaniel Wanley was an English clergyman and writer, known for The Wonders of the Little World.-Life:He was born at Leicester in 1634, and baptised on 27 March. His father was a mercer. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and graduated B.A. in 1653, M.A. in 1657. His first preferment... , 1662 |
Walter Farquhar Hook Walter Farquhar Hook , was an eminent Victorian churchman.-Background:He was the Vicar of Leeds responsible for the construction of the current Leeds Parish Church and for many ecclesiastical and social improvements to the city in the mid-nineteenth century... , 1828–1837 (afterwards Vicar of Leeds Parish Church Leeds Parish Church Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage... ) Graham Dow Geoffrey Graham Dow was the Anglican Bishop of Carlisle from 2000-2009, the 66th holder of the office. He is a well-known Evangelical.-Early life:... , 1981–1992 (later Bishop of Carlisle Bishop of Carlisle The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York.The diocese covers the County of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District... ) David Andrew Urquhart David Andrew Urquhart is the ninth Bishop of Birmingham.Urquhart was educated at Rugby School and Ealing College Business School . After a career in commercial management with British Petroleum, he studied for the ordained ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford... , 1992–2000 (later Bishop of Birmingham Bishop of Birmingham The Bishop of Birmingham heads the Church of England diocese of Birmingham, in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The diocese covers the North West of the historical county of Warwickshire and has its see in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, where the seat of the diocese is located at the... ) Bishop of Birkenhead The Bishop of Birkenhead is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Chester, in the Province of York, England. The title takes its name after Birkenhead, a town located on the Wirral Peninsula.... ) |