The comparison of two bishops' approaches in the investigations of heresy in Coventry in 1486–1522

Vol.17,No.1(2019)

Jan Král

Stable URL (handle):
http://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/142429

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Abstract
This study focuses on the records from the episcopal investigations of the Lollard heresy in Coventry between the years 1486 and 1522. However, my aim was not to analyse the dissident opinions of the suspects but to discern the specific approaches of the bishops John Hales and Geoffrey Blyth from the Coventry and Lichfield diocese and show how these approaches affected the resulting records. That means finding the so-called "excesses of speech" which show information beyond the often formulaic and standardised documents. The study shows that the bishops Hales and Blyth had quite differing interests in mind while investigating heresy. Hales focused on the details of the abjured opinions, such as the specifics of why the suspect denies the efficacy of pilgrimages. Blyth's primary goal, on the other hand, was to root out the heresy in Coventry and find as many heretics as he could.

Keywords:
heresy trials; inquisition; Coventry; late medieval England; inquisitorial records; Lollardy

Pages:
7–16
References

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