History St Mary's Guildhall
the guildhall served headquarters of merchant guild of st. mary, , subsequently of united guilds of holy trinity, st. mary, st. john baptist , st. katherine. following suppression of guilds in 1547, time served city s armoury , (until 1822) treasury, headquarters administration city council until council house opened in 1920.
in november 1569, following catholic rising of north, mary queen of scots rushed south tutbury castle coventry. elizabeth sent letter, instructing people of coventry after mary. suggested mary held somewhere secure such coventry castle. however, time decayed , mary instead first held @ bull inn, smithford street before being moved mayoress s parlour in st. mary s. following defeat of rebels, mary once more sent north chatsworth in may 1570.
george eld, mayor of coventry (1834–5) antiquarian encouraged appreciation of coventry s ancient buildings. initiated restoration of fourteenth-century interior of mayoress s parlour.
in 1861, artist david gee painted godiva procession leaving st. mary s hall, on display in herbert art gallery , museum, coventry.
restoration work council received approval of committee of coventry city guild in 1930. improvements had included repair of door @ north entrance crypt , providing glass , grilles in windows of fore crypt. outside crumbling exterior stonework stabilized.
the building retains collection of royal portraits seventeenth nineteenth centuries, arms , armour, fine stained glass , 1 of country s important tapestries dating circa 1500.
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