Textual Monumentality and Memory in Early Modern England, 1560–C.1650
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Textual monumentality and memory in early modern England, 1560–c.1650 Simone Hanebaum Peterhouse March 2019 This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Preface This dissertation is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It is not substantially the same as any that I have submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for a degree or diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. I further state that no substantial part of my dissertation has already been submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for any such degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It does not exceed the prescribed word limit for the Faculty of History Degree Committee. Portions of the arguments advanced on pages 85–86; 159–161; and 169–171 draws upon my previously published article, Simone Hanebaum, ‘Historical writing? – Richard Wilton’s “Booke of particular remembrances”, 1584–1634’, The Seventeenth Century (2018), DOI: 10.1080/0268117X.2018.1485594. This article was the product of personal research carried out for the PhD. i Summary Simone Hanebaum, Textual monumentality and memory in early modern England, 1560–c.1650 This study examines how manuscript and print culture functioned as a site of memory and commemoration in early modern England, creating ‘textual monuments’ to individuals, families, and communities. This dissertation shifts scholarly attention from genre and the structures of texts to the commemorative function of a vast array of texts, from diaries to parish histories, to demonstrate the profound impact of identity, religious change, collection, selection and interpretation, and memory on the creation of these textual monuments. This shift of focus to commemorative intent circumvents the pitfalls of genre-driven analysis and encourages a holistic and interdisciplinary study of memory in early modern England. The thesis demonstrates how the term ‘monument’ diversified and came to take on new meanings. Increasingly, it was used to refer to texts and writing in the post-Reformation period. These changes were in part driven by religious change wrought by the Reformation. The decline of purgatory and traditional religion and the rise of Protestant predestinarian and providential belief shifted the purpose of commemoration to edification of the living. This shift, alongside the rise of literacy and expansion of print culture, shaped what was commemorated about the dead, allowed new forms of commemorative texts to emerge, and created new meanings and interpretive frameworks for existing textual monuments, particularly a return to the biblical tradition of memorialising the grace and power of God. The thesis argues that textual monuments not only commemorated the masculine ideals of the patriarchal householder but also that their creation was an act of masculinity articulating a man’s responsibilities for posterity. Finally, the examination of civic, parochial, and personal archives suggests that the archive was inherently monumental and subject to the negotiation of power and authority through processes of selection, transcription, accessibility, and that it commemorated its compilers alongside the communities for which it was created. ii Acknowledgements I could not have undertaken this PhD without the generous support and funding received from the Cambridge Trust in the form of the Cambridge International Scholarship and from the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council in the form of a Doctoral Fellowship. The ability to pursue my studies debt-free and with financial peace of mind is a privilege I do not take for granted. Inmeasurable gratitude, respect, and affection is given to my supervisor, Professor Alexandra Walsham. It has been an honour to learn from such a juggernaut in the field, and an even greater joy to have had such a kind, supportive, empathetic supervisor. She has patiently read drafts, empathetically listened to me in moments of frustration, and has always provided thoughtful feedback and encouragement. My fellow ‘Walshamites’ past and present have been a wonderful source of friendship, collegiality, and intellectual growth. Much love in particular goes to Liesbeth, Harriet, Carys, Fred, Patrick, and Pippa. Peterhouse has funded all my research trips and my conferences, a generosity for which I am very grateful. More importantly, it has been my home in Cambridge. Monique, Jamie, Victoria, Leo, the two Freddies, Laura, Lukas, Carolina, Theresa, James, Adam, Aidan, Evaline, Charlotte, and Jack – thank you for your friendship. And a big thank you to an honorary Petrean, our yoga instructor Melanie, whose weekly instruction and guidance added so much light to my life when I needed it the most. The Canadian contingent of graduate students in Cambridge nourished my soul when homesickness kicked in. Thank you/ merci beaucoup . Especially big hugs are due to the Moran family, to Yani Ioannou (even though he’s from Toronto), and Jean-Robert iii Lalancette, for being my study buddy, my ‘Cambridge husband’ when I needed a date, and for being the big brother I always wanted. I continue to receive a wealth of love and support from my Simon Fraser ‘clan’. I thank John Craig and Emily O’Brien for their continued mentorship and friendship with the greatest affection, along with continued support of the the rest of the teaching and support staff in the Department of History. My MA friends Katie, Scott, and Sarah have continued to provide friendship and camaraderie despite our dispersal across two continents. My family in Canada and Italy have given me immeasurable love and support. My ‘Commercial Drive’ community in Vancouver has provided welcome respite from the isolation of academic writing. I owe my sister Katja Hanebaum and Emily Cheung gratitude for helping to proofread my final draft, and big thank you to my cousin, Avril Baldauf, for helping me gain access to books and resources held at the University of British Columbia. The biggest thanks of all is due to my partner of six years, Gianmarco Spiga. He has been by my side through three years of a long-distance relationship, close to a dozen international flights, and hundreds of hours on Skype. Thank you putting up with me and my old, dead, white guys. And to Scully, who has filled our home with dog hair but even more love and laughter. I was apprehensive about finishing this dissertation in Vancouver in isolation away from Cambridge, but the experience has been all the less lonely with her snoring by my feet. This dissertation is dedicated to them, my ‘pack’, for keeping me in the present and mindful of all its possibilities. iv Table of Contents Preface ................................................................................................................................ i Summary .......................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... iii List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................... vii A Note on Dates and Transcription ............................................................................ viii Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 Monuments and Monumentality .................................................................................... 3 Memory and the Early Modern Period........................................................................... 8 Written Culture and Material Texts ............................................................................. 11 Identity in Early Modern England................................................................................ 15 Sources and Methodology ............................................................................................ 19 Chapter 1: Monumentality in Medieval and Early Modern England ...................... 25 Monuments and the Middle Ages (8 th –15 th centuries) ................................................. 25 The Intellectual Underpinning of Sixteenth-Century Monumentality ......................... 31 The Reformation and Monumentality, 1534–1560 ...................................................... 40 Post-Reformation Monuments: Foxe, Stow, Camden, and Weever ............................ 44 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 68 Chapter 2: Reformation, Religion and Monumentality ............................................. 71 Domestic Manuscripts and Protestant Monumentality ................................................ 77 Memorials in the Margins: Family Bibles and Manuscript Monuments ..................... 92 Monumentality and Print ........................................................................................... 104 v Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 142 Chapter 3: Monuments and Masculinity ..................................................................