named after Peeping Tom, legendary 11th-cent. figure who peeped at Lady Godiva as she rode naked through Coventry. According to legend, Earl Leofric imposed heavy taxes on his tenants, which his wife begged him to remove. He said he would do so only if she rode naked through the town. She did so, and Leofric kept his promise. The figure of Peeping Tom is a much later addition to the story. According to some, he was struck blind for trying to look at her