Biographical Note
Joe O’Riordan is a current, full-time Masters by Research student in the History department. He obtained an Upper Second class degree in History from Canterbury Christ Church University in 2014. His dissertation centred around Constantine the Great and his conversion to Christianity. Joe’s principal research interests include early modern religion, royalty, and church hierarchy.
Research Outline
The English Reformation was a varied, highly exciting moment in history. It irrevocably changed the course of English history, but the focus on the wider scene risks many local areas of interest slipping though the net. Canterbury, the ecclesiastical centre of England for a thousand years, had much to gain and to lose from the pendulum swing of religion during this period. From Mary Tudor’s relentless Restoration attempt, to Elizabeth I’s drive to find the religious middle-ground, Canterbury would struggle between Protestantism and Catholicism, Clergy and Laity, Queen and Subject. This research hopes uncover the unique way in which Canterbury’s position as the centre of the English Church was used during this period (c.1553-1565). Of particular interest will be how the local figures, such as Nicholas Harpsfield, John Bale, and John Twyne, furthered the cause of their respective religious factions in the city during this time.