Puritan Gentry Besieged 1650-1700

by Cliffe; Trevor

• ISBN13: 9780415067270
• ISBN10: 0415067278
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1993-09-09
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The latter half of the seventeenth century saw the Puritan families of Engliand struggle to survive in an era of political and religious upheaval. Even Puritan ministers were inclined to be pessimistic about the endurance of 'godliness'--Puritan attitudes and practices--among the upper classes at a time when moral standards were generally considered to be in decline. Based on a wide-ranging study of family papers and other primary sources,Puritan Gentry Besiegedreveals that in many cases, the nobility were playing both ends: outwardly in communion with the Church, they often employed nonconformist chaplains and tutors for their children and attended nonconformist meetings. Trevor Cliffe's study of the established Puritan families, as well as the 'nouveau riche', reveals that the situation was far more complex than it appeared.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgements	p. xi
Abbreviations Used in References	p. xii
The Godly Divided	p. 1
Disaffection	p. 13
Bringing Back the King	p. 25
Bartholomew Day	p. 39
Change and Decay	p. 51
A Godly Elite	p. 67
In Communion	p. 82
Gospel Preaching	p. 96
Conventicles and Meeting Houses	p. 109
Keeping a Chaplain	p. 123
The Godly Household	p. 136
Education in an Ungodly World	p. 147
Getting and Spending	p. 162
Parliament and the Nonconformist Interest	p. 176
Fin de Siecle	p. 191
Appendix	p. 206
Notes	p. 229
Bibliography	p. 263
Index	p. 277
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