Benedictine Museum

January 1937

I had intended giving my reasons for continuing my historical research in my last article, but space would not permit, so I have given it first place in this January issue. You can imagine how difficult it is to give up something which has been a pleasure for ten years, also there is never an end to the work; if one place is finished another is commencing and perhaps other places are in the course of excavation. My intention, you will remember, was to give up the work at the end of 1936. However things that weighed heavily then, viz., sickness at home, have greatly improved; also I began to feel that the time and expense in other ways was more than I could manage, but as I considered these things I could see a way open to meet some of my expense by making a museum in a building in my yard, and making a small charge for admission. This I believe will be welcomed by many. Had a City Museum been about to be erected I should not have entertained the idea, but I feel sure it will be another ten years before it is an accomplished fact. I have many visitors from all parts of the world to see my antiquities and it will be a boon to have about two thousand articles on view instead of having to show them under cramped conditions. The museum will be called "The Benedictine Museum," as a greater part of the articles are pertaining to Earl Leofric's and Countess Godiva's Monastery. The Coventry Sketch Club have very kindly offered to do all the tabulating and signs. Not only will the history of Coventry be given in pottery, boots, etc., but over one hundred pictures of old Coventry will be on view, and also many early documents. I shall also have room for lectures and where I have previously given about thirty or forty talks each year to Guilds, etc., at their own rooms, I shall ask them to come to me where the exhibits will be seen. Photographs of a large number of the articles will be for sale, as postcards. It will be two or three months before it is ready for opening, and I am trying to arrange for the Blind Society to perform this. I have lectured to them several times, when I have given them things to handle, and find they see what people with sight do not see. On this subject let this suffice for a time.

You will remember in my last article I finished with saying I had discovered what might prove to be a pottery kiln. Tomorrow morning Dec. 29th, I am meeting an official from the Council House to arrange about having this site excavated, and trust I shall not be disappointed; I will report in my next article the result.

I want now to give some particulars about West Orchard excavations. Some months ago excavations were commenced for a new schoolroom at the North end of the Chapel. You will remember my article some three years ago on the new bridge excavations when a ford was discovered crossing the river where about twenty to thirty horse shoes were discovered, and a tannery at a depth of about sixteen feet, where the Co-operative Stores stand, near Smithford Street. The recent excavations have revealed the foundations of a farmhouse and cattle sheds. This valley at one time was a part of Bablake, and at a depth of 14-ft. to 16-ft. distinct signs of the bottom of the lake were found. The Chapel built in 1820 took the place of a former Chapel built in 1777, when the members through dissatisfaction with their minister withdrew from the church in Vicar Lane, and worshipped for a year in a room in Little Park Street.

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