Publications
The Speculum of Archbishop Thomas Secker, ed. Jeremy Gregory, 1995.The Speculum compiled by Archbishop Thomas Secker (1758-68) is a major source for our understanding of the position of the Church of England in the mid-eighteenth century. A parish by parish digest of the returns submitted to the archbishop between 1758 and 1761, it contains information on the size and social structure of each parish in the diocese and peculiars of the Canterbury; the names and qualifications of the clergy; their wealth and their relations with Roman Catholics and protestant dissenters. Part of the significance of the Speculum is its witness of the pastoral pressure applied by Secker, allowing the historian to assess how far an energetic archbishop was able to improve the standard of pastoral provision in the parishes under his care.
Jeremy Gregory is senior lecturer in the history of Christianity at the University of Manchester.
ISBN 0 85115 569 3. Price: £40 (Members: £25).
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