giving room for near 2,500 persons, introduced, while the incongruous
wall-arcading in the apse was soon after added. At the same period
many important sepulchral monuments, probably stigmatized as
"excrescences," were taken down and removed to other parts of the
church.

Five years after this the exterior of the aisle walls was recased with
the same friable sandstone. In 1860 the reredos was erected, the
subjects of the panels being the sacrifices of Abel, Noah,
Melchisedec, and Abraham, and the Last Supper. To the latest
restoration, which included entire recasing of tower and spire,
clearstories and chancel, the new sacristy at the south east, and
other work, Mr. George Woodcock, a Coventry citizen, gave _£_10,500,
and the sum of _£_39,500 was raised and expended, the re-opening
taking place on 22nd April, 1890.

In 1850 a dispute of considerable public interest with regard to the
levying of the church rate between the vicar and the wardens and
overseers was decided in the Court of Queen's Bench. An Act of
Parliament of 1780 had empowered the wardens to levy a rate in lieu of
tithe for the stipend of the vicar, to produce not less than _£_280
nor more than _£_300. The wardens having ever since allowed their
powers to remain in abeyance, the vicar claimed the right to make the
rate as his predecessors had done. Lord Campbell and three other
judges were however unanimous in giving judgement against him.

The latest event in the history of the church is probably the most
important. It has now been constituted a pro-cathedral for the
proposed Diocese of Warwickshire, and a Capitular body has been
formed. The statutes were promulgated by the Bishop of Worcester on