Wingrave photo from the 1860s showing City Arms' licensee David Dalgliesh above the archway, which gave entrance to Market Place.
This is said to be one of the famous old inns of Coventry. It stood next ot the Watch-House and stocks. The earliest reference is 1310 - this being claimed in Gregory Hood's records. The next reference is to a demise, dated 1466, held in the History Centre which reads "By Thomas Ingram, master of Corpus Christi and St Nicholas' Guild, and the fraternity, to Henry Meryington (of Coventry, barber and wax chandler) of a messuage in Cross Market (in foro crusis) called LE PECOK from December 1466 for 12 years at £5 13s 4d per annum, the guild repairing...."
It is mentioned in an indenture of 1638 and then in the bounds of the parish of St Michael dated 1690. In 1719 the Women's Market, or Butter market, was built in the yard of the Peacock Inn.
In 1756 four soldiers were billeted here. Then in 1765 a sale is advertised to be held at the Peacock, of three muckhills. Where there's muck there's money! These were Greyfriars muckhill, one in Hill Street and the third at the top of Cook Street, for anyone interested! In 1790 Edward Waters kept the Peacock at the southern end of Cross Cheaping. In 1801 he supplied meals and liquor for a meeting of Bonds Hospital Trustees at the Peacock. He also provided meals for meetings at the Mayor's Parlour. This is the Edward Waters who founded Waters Wine merchants.
The name changed to the CITY ARMS in the early 19th century.
This bird offered obvious scope to sign painters. It is sometimes of heraldic significance, linking to the Manners family, earls and dukes of Rutland. |