South Devon's secret Catholics
Dr. Michael Rhodes
- Region:
- Anywhere
- Notice Period:
- Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
- Type:
- Professional
- Fee:
- Paid: £60 plus expenses
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 31st January 2023
- Tagged:
- Catholics | Secrets | Persecution | Recusants
This talk covers the fortunes of South Devon's Recusant Catholics from their persecution during the reign of Henry VIII to the early 19th century, when they were finally permitted to worship openly. It explains where they met secretly, how they responded to persecution, and how their fortunes slowly improved during the early 19th century. Some of the principal Catholic families of this period still live in Devon and the surrounding counties. They are proud of their heritage and still practice their faith.
Views: 558 | Enquiries: 5About Dr. Michael Rhodes
From 1974-1992 Dr. Michael Rhodes was "Finds Officer" for the Museum of London's Department of Urban Archaeology. Here he led a team of 50 archaeologists, responsible for the care and study of finds from City of London excavations.
From 1988 to 1992, he set up the Waterfront Finds Museum - part of the Tower Hill Pageant. This won the Museum of the Year award in 1993.
Dr. Rhodes moved to Devon in 1992, to become The Head of Museum Services for Torbay Council. His main responsibility was for Torre Abbey, a Grade I listed building in need of major repair. He made two successful Lottery bids, which led to grants worth 8.5m, enabling the building to be saved and redisplayed. In 2015 he wrote the award-winning book "Devon's Torre Abbey: Faith, Politics and Grand Designs" (History Press 2015).
From 1999-2003 he chaired the Devon Museums Group, organising four annual conferences for museum professionals in Devon. He also undertook consultancies on archaeology and heritage for the Hong Kong government.
Advice to Hosts: "All my talks are based on original research, most of which has been peer-review and published. I always tailor my talks to my audience, so they are not overly academic. To ensure I can concentrate on the talk, I ask my hosts to provide a screen and a Powerpoint projector."
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