The evolution of Puritan mentality in an Essex cloth town : Dedham and the Stour Valley, 1560-1640
The subject of this thesis is the impact of religious reformation on the inhabitants of a small urban centre, with some reference to the experience of nearby settlements. Dedham has a place in national history as a centre of the Elizabethan Puritan Movement but the records of the Dedham Conference (the local manifestation of that movement), also illustrate the development of Reformed religion in Dedham and associated parishes. The contents of the thesis may be divided into four sections. The first of these concerns the material life of the inhabitants of Dedham and the way in which this generated both the potential for social cohesion and the possibility of social conflict. The second section examines the attempt at parish reformation sponsored by the ministers associated with the Dedham Conference and the militant and exclusive doctrine of the Christian life elaborated by the succeeding generation of preachers. The third element of the thesis focuses on the way in which the inhabitants articulated the expression of a Reformed or Puritan piety and, on occasion, the rejection of features of that piety. The ways in which the townspeople promoted the education of their children, the relief of the poor and the
Pennie, A. R.
History
The evolution of Puritan mentality in an Essex cloth town : Dedham and the Stour Valley, 1560-1640. The subject of this thesis is the impact of religious reformation on the inhabitants of a small urban centre, with some reference to the experience of nearby settlements. Dedham has a place in national history as a centre of the Elizabethan Puritan Movement but the records of the Dedham Conference (the local manifestation of that movement), also illustrate the development of Reformed religion in Dedham and associated parishes. The contents of the thesis may be divided into four sections. The first of these concerns the material life of the inhabitants of Dedham and the way in which this generated both the potential for social cohesion and the possibility of social conflict. The second section examines the attempt at parish reformation sponsored by the ministers associated with the Dedham Conference and the militant and exclusive doctrine of the Christian life elaborated by the succeeding generation of preachers. The third element of the thesis focuses on the way in which the inhabitants articulated the expression of a Reformed or Puritan piety and, on occasion, the rejection of features of that piety. The ways in which the townspeople promoted the education of their children, the relief of the poor and the
evolution puritan mentality essex cloth town valley subject impact religious reformation inhabitant small urban_centre reference experience nearby settlement place national_history centre elizabethan puritan movement record conference local manifestation movement also_illustrate development reformed religion associate parish content may_divide section first_concern material life inhabitant way generate potential social_cohesion possibility social conflict second_section examines attempt parish reformation sponsor minister associate conference militant exclusive doctrine christian_life elaborate succeed generation preacher third element focus way inhabitant articulate expression reformed puritan piety occasion rejection feature piety way townspeople promote education child relief poor