English Catholic History Association

Tim Guile writes a fascinating account of the medieval shrines of Ipswich, Willesden and Walsingham. Read his paper in full here

This book has been newly published by one of our members.

Who was Thomas Watson? Famous in his day, he was the epitome of Renaissance man: classical scholar, linguist, poet, playwright, musician, scientist, thinker, traveller, cosmologist, a man of intense curiosity. “A very learned man that could tell strange things”. His book of 100 love poems still intrigues, and musicologists admire his deft translations of Italian madrigals. He was a sociable companion, too, a loyal friend of poets and playwrights, and a wit-“witty Tom Watson“.

Watson mixed with the highest in the land, including the Earl of Oxford’s literary clique and the rival house of Philip and Mary Sidney. He was a close friend of the atheist Christopher Marlowe, and colleague of the Roman Catholic composer William Byrd. Yet, Watson also mingled with the basest in society. He was a government agent, an acquaintance of the spy master “Mr Secretary” Walsingham and a loved companion of his nephew. Scrapes and scandals dogged his life and even his death in 1592 aged 37 is blemished by a question mark.

History has neglected Tom Watson. By examining his works and the culture in which he mixed, Ian Johnson attempts to get a measure of the man

https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Man-Ian-Johnson/dp/1789558859

Sadly we have had to either cancel or postpone all our public events until further notice.

We are planning that our AGM and Day Conference will be go ahead via Zoom on October 24th when Dr Carmen Mangion will be speaking on Changing Dimensions of Women’s Religious Life from 1945-1990.  We will keep you updated.

Refer to the London Catholic History Walks website for more details of the events below:

RICHMOND: FRIDAY March 13th, 11am (note time, there is Mass at 10am) St Elizabeth’s RC Church, The Vineyard, Richmond TW10 6AQ. Nearest Tube and main line train RICHMOND. We will explore the Old Palace (Henry VII, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I) and then walk along the river to St John Henry Newman’s family home at Ham.

ISLINGTON: SUNDAY March 15th, 3.30pm at St John the Divine, Islington, London N1 8AL (nearest tube ANGEL). We will learn about the ancient shrine of Our Lady of the Oak, and a modern Catholic heroine, Caroline Chisholm.

 RICHMOND: SUNDAY March 22nd. 3.30pm History Walk RICHMOND. Meet St Elizabeth’s RC Church, Richmond TW10 6AQ

WESTMINSTER: MONDAY March 30th, 6.30pm (after 5.30pm Mass). Meet steps of Westminster Cathedral London SW1P 1LT. We will explore Westminster, the Abbey, Parliament etc.

NO NEED TO BOOK   – JUST TURN UP!  Wear sensible clothing and shoes – we will be walking whatever the weather!

Suggested donation: £10 per adult.

http://www.catholichistorywalks.com

A Free Lecture:

The origins of Anti-Catholicism by Alec Ryrie, Gresham Professor of Divinity

Alec Ryrie is a Professor in the History of Christianity at Durham University. He’s a superb speaker and his previous series on Extreme Christianity and Atheism have been very illuminating.

How The English Learned to Hate Catholics
Weds 20 November, 6pm-7pm
Museum of London
Professor Alec Ryrie
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/how-the-english-learned-to-hate-catholics

Medieval England was proudly Catholic and ostentatiously loyal to Rome. But from the late sixteenth century until recent times – and even now – anti-Catholic prejudice has been a cornerstone of English and British identity.

This lecture will look at how this prejudice grew out of the persecution of Protestants in the 1550s, at the idealistic historian who crystallised it, and at the political crises, real and invented, which turned his text into a paranoiacs’ charter.

Gresham College has been providing free public lectures since 1597. You can read more about our history here. This lecture, like most of ours, is open to the public on a first come first served basis, but we can book seats for schools/ colleges for all our lectures. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/schools.