In this final episode, I talk about the historical event known as the “Dissolution of the Monasteries.” This is the part where it all fell apart and became the end of the road for Barking Abbey.
In the photo, my own “First Holy Communion” kit. I was 6-years old. And already the bouquet of plastic daisies and the veil underscore that I, like those women in the Middle Ages, was becoming a bride of Christ, getting “married” to the Catholic faith. The difference is for me it stopped there, but for medieval nuns it meant a lifetime commitment.
Until a king decided otherwise.
For those of you looking for a more granular view, including all the source citations, etc., you can read my entire thesis, A Nun’s Life: Barking Abbey in the Late Medieval and Early Modern Periods, here.
Thanks for following along on this revisit of my graduate work. I hope you’ve enjoyed it.
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