Manchester Metropolitan University

Associate Lecturer and Doctoral Student, History

Thesis Title: Images of Female Piety and the development of post-Reformation Catholicism in England, c.1558-c.1630

About

+ Research Interests +

My doctoral research is concerned with female piety and the development of post-Reformation Catholicism in England.  My current project deals primarily with gentrywomen living in northern England during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.

My thesis considers a number of areas, including personal piety, the diffusion and dissemination of Catholicism within families and local communities, and relations with the missionary clergy. A section is also devoted to a prosopographical analysis of northern English Cathollic families and their links with the exiled English convents. 

The background to my research includes the national politico-religious developments during this period, as well as links between English Catholicism and the Counter-Reformation. 

My wider research interests include the history of the book, Reformation studies, and early modern British history.


+ Other Activities +

- Co-founder and manager of the regional postgraduate history network, History Lab North West [2009-present].  For more information e-mail us at: historylab.northwest@hotmail.com

- Convenor and chair of the History Lab North West (HLNW) seminar series, hosted by Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Liverpool [2009-2010].

- Conference organiser of the History Lab North West (HLNW) postgraduate workshops. HLNW  has, to date, hosted three conferences designed to allow history postgraduates the opportunity to practice giving papers, disseminate their research, and network.  These fully-funded postgraduate conferences have featured speakers presenting research covering a vast range of topics (from medieval graffiti to British cold war policy) and time periods (from the 10th century to the 20th). The workshops have also featured presentations by History Lab, the Institute of Historical Research and Vitae.

http://www.history.ac.uk/events/conferences/1259
http://www.history.ac.uk/events/event/2100
http://www.history.ac.uk/events/event/2896

- Consultant to the AHRC-funded 'Who Were the Nuns?' project, based at Queen Mary, University of London.
http://www.history.qmul.ac.uk/wwtn/
I have made regular use of the project's resources, most notably conducting prosopographical analysis using the project database. I have also assisted with transcription. [2008-2011]

- Member of the History of Women Religious in Britain and Ireland (H-WRBI) network. Responsible for the maintenance and moderation of the network's social media group [2009-2011] and conference finance assistant [2009].

- Graduate School Representative for History [2009-2011]


+ Qualifications +

BA (Hons) History - Manchester Metropolitan University, First Class [2007]

Dissertation: 'Catholic Women in North East England, 1581-1603'

Supervisor: Dr Rosamund Oates


MA History - University of Manchester, Distinction [2008]

Dissertation: ‘Sustaining the Missionary Cause: English Catholic Prisoners and their Literary, Scribal, and Print Cultures, c.1570-1603’

Supervisor: Dr Sasha Handley (with advice from Dr Glyn Redworth)


+ Awards +

- Holder of Manchester European Research Institute Studentship [2008-2011]

- Recipient of a £200 grant from the Royal Historical Society fund for conference organisers on behalf of History Lab North West [2011]

- Recipient of a conference grant from Manchester Metropolitan University to attend the 50th anniversary summer conference of the Ecclesiastical History Society at Christ Church, University of Oxford [2011]

- Recipient of a grant from the event organisers to attend the annual conference of the History of Women Religious in Britain and Ireland network at Queen Mary, University of London [2011]

Contact Information