The Great Victorian Convent Case
With the increase in Irish immigration into Britain in the mid-nineteenth century, concern arose about the resurgence of Catholicism. Yet not all women in convents were helplessly detained there, as explains Walter L. Arnstein.
In English history the theme of 'No Popery' is traditionally associated with 'Bloody Mary' of the sixteenth century, with Guy Fawkes, Titus Oates, and the 'Glorious Revolution' of the seventeenth century, and with the Gordon Riots that beset the London of 1780. Victorian England, by contrast, is better remembered for its religious liberalism as Parliament abolished the oaths and struck down the laws that had hitherto barred Dissenters, Roman Catholics, Jews and even atheists from exercising the rights of full citizenship.
To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.
Start my trial subscription now
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
