William Canynges (1402-1474) was one of Bristol's wealthiest merchants in the 15th Century, controlling nearly a quarter of shipping at the port of Bristol. Canynges invested a significant amount of his wealth in St Mary Redcliffe Church. He also formed a strong bond with John Carpenter, Bishop of Worcester, who assisted Canynges to prepare him for death. In this article, Burgess investigates William Canynges' spiritual investments in the closing years of his life and their broader social and political implications.
Tag: church
A Church as it should be? Victorian Restoration in South West England
'In this paper Weller demonstrates that, chiefly with "examples from the parishes in and around Bristol and Somerset, that the older church buildings we see today, whilst for the most part still possessing a Medieval structural core, have undergone varying degrees of transformation, sometimes including partial or occasionally total demolition, during the Victorian Age"'.
A Missing Nave and the Development of Private Housing at Bristol Cathedral (PART ONE)
Part 1 of 2 - Joyce Moss looks at the development of the housing around Bristol Cathedral through from the 16th Century, as well as looking at the history of the buildings and whatever events occurred over the years of its construction. Furthermore, the article includes people who were involved with the monastic properties of the city, and what impact they had on proceedings.
The Norman Lords of Bristol
"The early history of Bristol is obscure. Although archaeological excavation is beginning to shed light on the development of the town, the townsmen left no written records to provide a picture of the political framework, within which the town emerged, nor of how power was mediated in the town". Thompson looks at early records of how Bristol was formed, and what events and factors influenced its early development.
‘In goode and perfect remembraunce’: life and death in 16th Century Wiltshire
"Wills can reveal a great deal more to us than the material value of the dead. As Alex Craven argues here, wills also shed light on some of the ways in which national changes in religious practice impacted upon the lives of women and men in sixteenth century Wiltshire".
As much afraid of truth as any people I ever met with’: a Nineteenth Century Mormon perspective of Bristolians
"At one time or another, most of us will have encountered Mormon missionaries, often young American men, on the streets of British cities. Few of us, perhaps, know very much about what they believe, or what they are doing here. In fact, Mormons have been spreading the word in Bristol for about 170 years now. But how popular were they when they first arrived? And what sort of people joined the Mormon church in the nineteenth century city? In this article, Chris Ralph goes in search of some answers."
Critical Views of G. E. Street’s Proposals for the Rebuilding of the Nave of Bristol Cathedral 1867
'The restored nave of Bristol Cathedral was designed by George Edmund Street and has generally been regarded as an highly successful attempt to follow, without slavishly copying, the remarkably inventive architecture of the 14th-century chancel. Street was appointed as the architect of the proposed new nave'. In this, Bettey and Warren look at how those involved raised the funding, and the details surrounding its completion and its function as a place of worship was resumed.
Clergy Discipline in the Diocese of Exeter: Two Diverse Cases from the Files of the Consistory Court
In this article, Michael Weller looks at two contrasting cases from the Consistory Court, showing the variety of disciplinary cases which occurred in the Diocese of Exeter in the 19th Century. It explores the proceedings that were taken in reaction to individual disciplinary cases, and what punishment befell those who broke the rules.
Gleanings from Wiltshire Parish Registers 1538-1812
Parish registers have long been regarded as the preserve of family historians, and, more recently, demographic historians. They should be regarded not only as bureaucratic records of the rites of passage, or sources of population data, important as these are, but also as chronicles of communal memory and experience. In this study, Steve Hobbs reveals the wide range of historical research that can be informed by the memoranda and jottings found in these sources.
“The poor do not need long epitaphs”: the provenance of some West Country memorials
An epitaph may be defined as something written about the dead. Often epitaphs found on gravestones and memorials are wholly or in part some fitting quotation or poem which, from the perspective of the bereaved, seems to befit the departed. In this article, Michael Weller explores the provenance of those epitaphs found on gravestones of south west England, and the very different form of writing found on memorial plaques and the like