Conferences – English Catholic History Association

The 150,000 documents which comprise the Stuart Papers are housed in the Royal Archives at Windsor. They give a detailed overview of the exiled Jacobite world of the 18th century. Only a small proportion, the first few years, have been published. The story of how they were gathered together and made their way back to England, and finally to Windsor (in 1834) is a fascinating one.  Dom Geoffrey goes on to give a picture of the Jacobite circle in Rome in the second half of the 18th century through the eyes of the Procurator of the English Benedictine Congregation in Rome, Dom Placid Waters. This talk makes fascinating listening covering as it does a period of English history which has often been overlooked.

Dom Geoffrey Scott OSB is titular abbot of Lindisfarne and parish priest of Alcester, Warwickshire. He serves as librarian, archivist and junior master and congregational annalist of the Benedictine community at Douai Abbey in Berkshire.  He is also president of the Catholic Archives Society and a patron of the English Catholic History Association.    50 minutes

HOW TO LISTEN TO THIS TALK     Playing time 50 minutes

Dean John Incent or Innocent, 16th century lawyer and clergyman, and founder of Berkhamsted School.  He was lawyer to the Bishop of Winchester, Richard Foxe, and master of the hospital of St Cross and Domus Dei in Portsmouth.   After the death of Bishop Foxe he was chaplain to Henry VIII.  In this entertaining talk David Pearce, for many years a teacher at Berkhamsted, introduces us to this little-known but influential figure.

Professor Bernard of Southampton University History Department gives a convincing revisionist account of the dissolution of the monasteries, arguing that far from being solely motivated by financial gain, the King and his Commissioners acted ideologically, beginning with a genuine desire for reform of lax monastic practice and superstition.  Using many examples to support his argument, Professor Bernard gives a fascinating and enlightening account of the process of dissolution.   This talk is based on an article published in the journal History in 2011.  You can go to this link for more information: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291468-229X

HOW TO LISTEN TO THIS TALK     Playing time 50 minutes

In 1780, as a protest against the First Catholic Relief Act of 1778, a petition was brought to Parliament in London which sparked the Gordon Riots.   Some days later a small crowd was seen near the Catholic mission in Bath and over the next 48 hours or so disturbances took place which were speedily squashed by the military.  There are many contrasts with the more serious riots in London but also parallels.  Professor Steve Poole of Bath University gives an interesting and entertaining account of these events in Bath which led to the imprisonment of 8 rioters, 7 of who were subsequently released and one who was hung after a show trial.

HOW TO LISTEN TO THIS TALK     Playing time 50 minutes

The First Catholic Relief Act in 1778 led to the  Gordon Riots of 1780 which lasted for a week and were of great ferocity in London where many major public buildings including the Bank of England, the prisons of Newgate and Fleet, the house of Lord Mansfield and Langdale Gin Distillery were attacked and burned.  The Vicar Apostolic, Bishop Challoner, had to flee for his life.   Beginning as a protest march to present a petition against the passing of the Relief Act, the rioting soon became disassociated with direct anti-Catholicism, and became mob violence, aimed at freeing prisoners and causing havoc and looting. A fascinating summary of the background and progress of the riots, together with a brief biography of the enigmatic character of Lord George Gordon.

HOW TO LISTEN TO THIS TALK     Playing time 55 minutes