Coventry's Historical Timeline

o put our local history into some sort of perspective, here's a timeline showing many of the significant events in Coventry's history. England's reigning monarchs plus a few relevant national events are shown in the white boxes. In the lower half are dates when our most important historical structures were built.

924 Athelstan 939 Edmund the Magnificent 946 Edred 955 Edwy the Fair 959 Edgar the Peaceable	975 Edward the Martyr 978-1016 Ethelred the Unready 1013 Sweyn Forkbeard (A few weeks) 1016 Edmund Ironside (7m.) 1016 Canute 1035 Harold I 1040 Harthacanute 1042 Edward the Confessor 1057 Earl Leofric died 1066 Harold II (9 months) 1066 William I Norman Conquest 1067 Godiva died	1086 Domesday book 1087 William II c1095 Coventry's first Bishop Robert De Limesey 1100 Henry I 1135 Stephen 1143 Earl Marmion fortifies the Priory against Ranulf, Earl of Chester 1154 Henry II 1182 Charter by Henry II	1189 Richard I 1199 King John 1216 Henry III 1250 Prior takes control of Coventry 1272 Edward I	1307 Edward II 1327 Edward III 1345 Charter of Incorporation 1355 Tripartite Indenture 1377 Richard II	1404 "Parliamentum Indoctorum" held at Coventry Priory 1399 Henry IV 1413 Henry V 1422 Henry VI 1451 Coventry made a County by Henry VI Wars - of - the - Roses 1456 to 1459 Coventry, occasional home to Parliament under Henry VI 1461&1471 Edward IV 1469 Henry VI	1483 (April-June) Edward V 1483 Richard III 1485 Henry VII 1509 Henry VIII 1538/39 Monasteries dissolved 1547 Edward VI 1553 Mary I 1558 Elizabeth I 1565 Elizabeth I stays at Whitefriars	1569 Mary Queen of Scots held in Coventry 1603 James I 1605 Princess Elizabeth moved from Coombe to Palace Yard in Coventry as the Gunpowder Plot gets underway. 1617 King James I visits, and stays at Whitefriars. 1625 Charles I Aug. 1642 Charles I's army repelled by the people of Coventry. 1649 Commonwealth 1642 English Civil War 1660 Charles II 1685 James II	1687 King James II visits, and stays at Palace Yard. 1689 William III & Mary II 1702 Queen Ann 1714 George I 1727 George II 1727 First mention of the watch- making trade in Coventry. 1760 George III	1801 Whitefriars' used as a Workhouse 1820 George IV 1830 William IV 1837 Queen Victoria	1861 James Starley arrives. The bicycle industry will soon take over from the struggling watch trade. 1896 The fledgling motor-car industry comes to Coventry. 1901 Edward VII 1910 George V 1914-18 WWI 1918 St. Michael's church is elevated to 'cathedral' status. 1936 (Jan - Dec) Edward VIII 1936 George VI 1939-45 WWII 1940 14th Nov. The Blitz. 1952 Elizabeth II	1987 16th May - Coventry City win the F.A. Cup!
c700 Possible founding of St. Osburga's Nunnery	1000 11th Century 1016 St. Osburga's nunnery sacked by Edric the Traitor 1043 Leofric & Godiva endowed the monastery in Coventry	1100 12th Century c1102 Started building new St. Mary's Priory Cathedral c1138 St. Michael's Chapel first mentioned c1113 Holy Trinity Chapel first mentioned	1200 13th Century c1225 Completed St. Mary's Cathedral early 1200s Greyfriars' arrived in Coventry	1300 14th Century 1342 Start of Building St. Mary's Guildhall 1342 Whitefriars Monastery founded 1344 St. John's church founded 1355 Start of building the City Wall 1373 to 1394 Building of St. Michael's Tower	1400 15th Century c1433 Started building St. Michael's Spire	1500 16th Century 1506 Bond's Hospital founded 1509 Ford's Hospital founded 1560 Bablake School in Hill St. founded 1534 Finished re-routing the City Wall 1545 Demolition of St. Mary's Priory begins	1600 17th Century 1662 City Wall demolished	1700 18th Century 1714 Blue Coat School founded.	1800 19th Century 1783 County Hall built 1830 Greyfriars' church rebuilt as Christ Church 1793 Coventry Barracks built.	1900 20th Century 1885 King Henry VIII School moves to Warwick Road. 1890 Bablake School moves to Coundon Road. 1935-37 Butcher Row & Ironmonger Row etc. demolished to build Trinity St. 1948 22nd May Broadgate opened. 1949 22nd Oct. Godiva statue unveiled. 1962 25th May New Cathedral Consecrated	2000 21st Century 2000 Phoenix Initiative: St. Mary's Priory excavated & Millennium Place built, etc. 2017 7th Dec - Coventry chosen to be the UK City of Culture for 2021

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