Unlike other works on Glastonbury Abbey, this book examines the lives and relationships of its monks, using methods such as quantitative and network analysis to extract substantial data from records between 900 and 1550.
The book's recurring theme is that, in one sense, Glastonbury was not remarkable at all; yet in another, both the people and the place were extraordinary. This book argues that, through 400 years of national turbulence, Glastonbury Abbey - hidden away in Somerset - kept calm and carried on successfully managing its estates, fulfilling its spiritual duties, and becoming the wealthiest monastery in England. In addition, it is proposed that after Glastonbury's Late Saxon zenith, it was never a place of significant national importance until the English Romantic Period, when its mystique was revived. Chapter 1 sets the context for the research. The demographics of Glastonbury monks and their living conditions are explored in Chapter 2, and their education and careers in Chapter 3. The abbot's role, reputation, and performance are assessed in Chapter 4, while Chapter 5 examines Glastonbury's relationships with people and institutions. Agency theory is used to examine the abbey's power dynamics and prestige in Chapter 6. In Chapter 7, Glastonbury Abbey as a place and corporation is explored through its property and seignorial lordship.
This book is written for the enquiring mind and historians who want facts and a different approach to history.