Suppression of the Monasteries in the West Country by J. H. [Joseph Harold] Bettey lands on the shelves of my shop, where it will be found in my Local History section.
Stroud: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1989, (First Edition) Hardback in dust wrapper.
Contains: Black & white photographs; Maps; Tables; List of abbreviations; Frontispiece; Appendices [15];
From the cover: Throughout the Middle Ages the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset were notable for the number, wealth and splendour of the monastic houses, and for the fine monastery buildings and widespread monastic estates which were to be found right across the region. In spite of the critics of the monks and nuns, and notwithstanding the indifferent spiritual state of some of the houses, even as late as 1530 it would have seemed incredible that within ten years all these ancient and wealthy institutions would be abolished, that the whole elaborate edifice of monasticism would cease to exist, that there would be no more monks, nuns or friars, and that all their lands, properties, buildings and treasures would pass into the hands of the Crown. This book tells the remarkable story of these dramatic national events as they affected the West Country. The state of the monasteries and friaries on the eve of their destruction is described, the events leading to their fall and the effects which the suppression had upon all aspects of life in the region are examined. The eviction of the monks and nuns, the confiscation of their estates, the dispersal of their treasures and the demolition of many of their magnificent buildings, several of which had only recently been rebuilt on the grandest scale, is recounted in detail, using examples from monasteries and friaries throughout the West Country. Much of the book is based on unpublished documentary records or on sources which are not easily available, since although there are numerous accounts of the suppression from a national viewpoint and detailed work on specific regional aspects, there is no recent study of the subject at a local level in this region.
Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper. Small address label to the front fold. Text complete, clean and tight otherwise.
Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [X] 198 pages. Index. Bibliography. 10″ x 7″.
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