No Naked Ride Here:
Lady Godiva’s Quiet Gift to Newark (and a cheeky peeping Tom reference)
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Lady Godiva, or Godgifu in Old English (meaning “gift of God”), was an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon noblewoman, married to Leofric, Earl of Mercia. She’s best known for her legendary ride through Coventry, atop a steed, starkers, save for her cascading hair, to protest her husband’s oppressive taxation of the townsfolk.
The townsfolk were ordered to stay indoors with their shutters closed, the legend says that one man, Thomas, defied the order and watched her ride by and was instantly struck blind as punishment for his voyeurism hence the term “peeping Tom”.
The specific character of "Peeping Tom" was added to the legend centuries after Lady Godiva's death, with the first written mention of the phrase appearing in the late 18th century.
That’ll be your weekly pub quiz fact, then 😊
While historians agree she was a real person, the naked ride is likely a myth cooked up in the 13th century, possibly with a side of medieval mischief and a sprinkle of pagan fertility symbolism
Now, here’s where Newark enters the scene, and no, she didn’t ride through its streets with her Torcs out (Bad history pun, soz)
But her impact was economically and spiritually profound.
In the 11th century, Lady Godiva donated the income from her manor in Newark (on land that is now the site of Trent Bridge House/Former WI house) to Stow Monastery near Lincoln.
This wasn’t just a casual gift, it was a substantial endowment that helped fund religious life and development in the region.
Think of it as medieval philanthropy with divine flair.
This act placed Newark firmly on the ecclesiastical map.
After the Norman Conquest, the manor and its church passed to the Bishop of Lincoln, and later to the Gilbertine Priory of St Katherine, which controlled Newark’s spiritual affairs until the Reformation.
Godiva was a major landholder, one of the few Anglo-Saxon women to retain property after the Norman Conquest. She appears in the Domesday Book, and her name is attached to numerous religious donations across Mercia, from Coventry to Worcester, Evesham, and yes…. Right here in Newark
She even gifted precious metalwork to churches, including a necklace worth 100 marks of silver and a gold-fringed chasuble (The outer liturgical garment worn today by both bishops and priests) to St Paul’s Cathedral. Her will included a string of prayer beads, possibly the earliest reference to a rosary-like object in England (Lady Godiva’s rosary was described as a “circlet of gems which she had threaded on a string in order that by fingering them one-by-one as she successively recited her prayers” )
Upon her death, her rosary was to be given to the Benedictine Monastery and sold to raise funds for its support.If Lady Godiva lived today, she’d probably be trending on social media for her bold activism, charitable giving, and fashion-forward hair coverage.
Her ride might be reimagined as a protest march, her donations as GoFundMe campaigns, and her Newark endowment as a strategic investment in regional development
Lady Godiva’s gift to Stow Monastery helped shape Newark’s religious infrastructure.
The Church of St Mary Magdalene, Newark’s architectural crown jewel, evolved under the influence of these early endowments. Though she didn’t build it herself, her financial support laid the groundwork for Newark’s ecclesiastical prominence
Featured image depicting Lady Godiva and Leofric, Earl of Mercia by John Clifton)
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