Voices of Morebath

One thing particularly drew my attention. Duffy's research points to the fact that Elizabeth's successful reign may have had the effect of decreasing the status of women in the village. The women in the village were accepted by the men folk of the village as churchwardens and thus leaders in the past, but their leadership became less comfortable during Elizabeth's reign. Could it be, I wonder, a counter-reaction by the men to a powerful woman ruler on England's throne?

Duffy includes throughout the pages of his book humourous turns of phrase- for example, he describes the Henrician reformation of the late 1530's as a tiger, but a "torpid tabby cat'(4) by the death of Henry VIII, while 'Somerset's regime was prone to see traitorous popish priests under every bed.' (5) He also gives an unmistakable sense of how the ordinary folk of the village must have felt like spinning heads- Roman Catholic one moment, Protestant the next, Roman Catholic again and then back on the reformation road in Elizabeth's times. With their churches whitewashed and beloved icons ear-marked for destruction, these times for the devoted Roman Catholic were heart-breaking.

Clearly liking Sir- a honour title given to catholic priests at the time- Christopher Trychan, Duffy makes his reader empathise with the priest too. Trychan cared not only for the spiritual well being for his parishioners, but also acted as the 'voice' for the one hundred and fifty souls coming under his care. Thanks to Duffy's book- beautifully produced by Yale University Press- it is a voice that vividly returns the Tudor village of Morebath back to the historical stage.

(1) E. Duffy; The Voices of Morebath ; 2001; page 91
(2) ditto; page 177
(3) ditto; page 175
(4) ditto; page 111
(5) ditto; page 131

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