Literary and Biographical History, or Bibliographical Dictionary of the English Catholics From the Breach With Rome, in 1534, to the Present Time

A Literary and Biographical History, or Bibliographical Dictionary of the English Catholics is an essential bibliographic and encyclopedic tool for all scholars of English Catholic history. Written by Joseph Gillow (1850--1921), the founder of the Catholic Record Society and a leading authority of recusant history, the aim of the Dictionary was 'to present, in the most ready and convenient form, a concise record of the literary efforts, educational struggles, and sufferings for religion's sake of the Catholics in England'. Originally published between 1885 and 1902, these five volumes reveal a wealth of bibliographical material outlining the struggles and controversies in Catholic history in England and Wales over three and a half centuries. Recording the published and unpublished writings of all Catholics since the Reformation and also including titles of hundreds of books and pamphlets by non-Catholics, this pioneering work was described by Cardinal Gasquet as 'a veritable storehouse of information'. It is the first and best reference work on Catholic history, containing a fascinating mixture of biographies of martyrs, priests and celebrated laymen, notices of missions, churches and chapels, seminaries, colleges and schools. Special attention is given to the booksellers and printers who by helping the Catholic faith endangered their lives and fortunes. Each biographical entry is set out alphabetically and contains extensive chronological lists of manuscripts, printed books and pamphlets, annotated with details of various editions and translations. Gillow also identifies important material by anonymous and pseudonymous writers. Comprehensive references for further study are included, making the Dictionary an indispensable reference tool. The Thoemmes Press reprint of the Dictionary contains a new Preface by Charles Gillow, great-grandson of Joseph Gillow and a student of Catholic family history. --an indispensable sourcebook for scholars of Catholicism --one of the most important literary contributions to English Catholic history --contains extensive lists of bibliographical matter, annotated with references for further study --largely unavailable and scarce first editionGillow, Joseph is the author of 'Literary and Biographical History, or Bibliographical Dictionary of the English Catholics From the Breach With Rome, in 1534, to the Present Time' with ISBN 9781855068247 and ISBN 1855068249.