Does anyone know the origin of the phrase 'Sent to Coventry' ?

Question

For those who don't know, Coventry is a West Midlands' city (England).

When we are fed up with someone, or wish to punish them *by not talking to them*, we say we are 'Sending them to Coventry.'

Why ?

Answer 1

According to "Bob" at:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/1127.html

": Sent to Coventry; if someone is "sent to Coventry" then they are shunned by their fellow citizens and friends. There are three possible explanations for this phrase.

The first comes from the English Civil War. Birmingham was strongly Parliamentarian; the citizens were aware of a small group of Royalists in their midst. Some of these they killed and others they "exiled" to nearby Royalist Coventry. I don't like this explanation since, by being sent to Coventry, these people were rescued. In truth they had good fortune - their colleagues were killed.

The second possibility rings a little truer. In this case the citizens of Coventry were in a phase of hating the military, possibly also as a result of the Civil War. Such was this hate that the young women of the town were forbidden to speak to the soldiers garrisoned there. Naturally no soldier welcomed such a posting.

The third possibility is the one that I like best. It is suggested that the name Coventry is derived from Covin-tree, an oak which is supposed to have stood in front of the castle in feudal times. The tree was used as the gallows and those to be executed were sent to the covin-tree."

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Sent to Coventry; if someone is "sent to Coventry" then they are shunned by their fellow citizens and friends. There are three possible explanations for this phrase. The first comes from the English Civil War. Birmingham was strongly Parliamentarian; the citizens were aware of a small group of Royalists in their midst. Some of these they killed and others they sent as prisoners to nearby Coventry, also a Parliamentary town. Why they did this is not clear and, by being sent to Coventry, these people were rescued. In truth they had good fortune - their colleagues were killed. Thus, I don't like this explanation.
: The second possibility rings a little truer. In this case the citizens of Coventry were in a phase of hating the military, possibly also as a result of the Civil War. Such was this hate that the young women of the town were forbidden to speak to the soldiers garrisoned there. Naturally no soldier welcomed such a posting.
: The third possibility is the one that I like best. It is suggested that the name Coventry is derived from Covin-tree, an oak which is supposed to have stood in front of the castle in feudal times. The tree was used as the gallows and those to be executed were sent to the covin-tree.

Answer 3

Some believe that the phrase dates from the English Civil War, when a military prison was located in that city. Others say it dates from the 18th century, when Coventry was the nearest town to London that lay outside the jurisdiction of the Bow Street Runners and so London criminals would flee to Coventry to escape arrest.

To be sent to Coventry is to be ostracised, shunned, or otherwise systematically ignored.

Answer 4

"Sent to Coventry"

"To be shunned or ignored"
St Johns Church, commonly known as Bablake Church was completed in 1350.
It became a prison for hundreds of the troops of The Duke of Hamilton during the Civil War -1647. The People of Coventry were strongly Puritan and were loyal to the parliamentary cause. Such was their loyalty indeed that they shunned all forms of fraternisation with the prisoners who were thus completely ignored. And so it was the phrase "sent to Coventry" was born.

Answer 5

Hostile attitudes of the cityfolk towards Royalist prisoners held in Coventry during the English Civil War are believed to have originated the phrase "sent to Coventry", which in Britain means "to be ostracised".

Answer 6

according to one historical account it came as a result of an action taken during the second world war. german bombers were bombing the city of london with increasing accuracy. it was determined at the time: that the"jerrys" were useing the positions of the anti-aircraft spotting beams around london as a bombing reference for delivering their bombs on target. the order was issued to relocate these beams a safe distance from london in the same pattern to throw the "jerrys" off on their next raid. it worked. the town of coventry was destroyed in the process. later the term, sending someone to coventry meant:: sending a person of disruptive or destructive influence away

Answer 7

because coventry used to have walls around the outside, they used to send criminals here (or there to you xx), so sent to coventry means that someone is a criminal or what have you, nowadays it's another way of saying that someones in trouble.

the first answer is by far the best

xx

Answer 8

i think it has to do with WW2 and the blitz, where coventry got hit quite badly

Answer 9

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/sent-to-coventry.html