Coventry Cathedral for the new Coventry Cathedral provides an element of unity between the buildings. The foundation stone of the new cathedral was laid by Elizabeth II on 23 March 1956. The unconventional spire (known as a "flèche") is tall and was lowered onto the flat roof by a helicopter, flown by Wing Commander John Dowling in April 1962. The cathedral was consecrated on 25 May 1962, and Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem", composed for the occasion, was premiered in the new cathedral on 30 May to mark its consecration. Coventry's modernist design caused much discussion, but on opening to the public it
Thomas Coventry, 1st Earl of Coventry eldest son from his first marriage, Thomas. Lady Coventry later remarried and died in 1724. Thomas Coventry, 1st Earl of Coventry Thomas Coventry, 1st Earl of Coventry ("ca." 162915 July 1699), known as the Hon. Thomas Coventry from 1640 to 1687 and as the Lord Coventry from 1687 to 1697, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1660 and 1687 when he succeeded to the peerage.. Coventry was the younger son of Thomas Coventry, 2nd Baron Coventry, and his wife Mary (née Craven). Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry, was his grandfather. In