A dancer made a recusant: dance and evangelization in the Jacobean North East of England

In the summer of 1615, a newly discovered Catholic conspiracy prompted William James, bishop of Durham, to vigorously correspond with the archbishop of Canterbury. On 3 August, in the midst of the crisis, the bishop incarcerated a professional dancer, Robert Hindmers (b. 1585). Together with his wif...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Jakovac, Gašper 1986- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Cambridge Univ. Press [2018]
In: British Catholic history
Year: 2018, Volume: 34, Issue: 2, Pages: 273-303
IxTheo Classification:CD Christianity and Culture
KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history
KBF British Isles
KDB Roman Catholic Church
Further subjects:B Evangelization
B Recusancy
B Dance
B festivity
B north-eastern England
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
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Description
Summary:In the summer of 1615, a newly discovered Catholic conspiracy prompted William James, bishop of Durham, to vigorously correspond with the archbishop of Canterbury. On 3 August, in the midst of the crisis, the bishop incarcerated a professional dancer, Robert Hindmers (b. 1585). Together with his wife Anne, Robert was associated with the Newcastle-based secular priest William Southerne and involved in Catholic evangelising in the diocese of Durham. This article discusses the biography and career of Robert Hindmers, and speculates about the role of dancing within the Durham Catholic community. It also analyses how the activities of the Hindmers were perceived by the ecclesiastical authorities. The case of Robert Hindmers traverses and links many related issues, such as Counter-Reformation culture, traditional festivity, religious politics, and the interconnectedness of elite and popular cultures. But above all, it expands our understanding of Catholic missionary strategies in post-Reformation England by suggesting that dance instruction might have been used by Catholics to access households and assist the mission.
ISSN:2055-7981
Contains:Enthalten in: British Catholic history
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1017/bch.2018.24