Dear all,
In connection with this subject, you may find of interest the book by F.
Donald Logan, *Runaway Religious in Medieval England c.1240-1540*, C.U.P.
1996. This takes in nuns and canonesses but extends beyond, to monks,
canons and friars who fled from their institutions to return to secular
life. An impressive register of identified apostates (80 pp) forms one of
the appendices. It has quite a proportion of Yorkshire examples, the most
spectacular of which is the case of Elizabeth Lutton, a deviant nun of
Yedingham Priory (pp.89-96). It is fascinating to see how people were moved
to act through boredom, temptation, changes of personality and outlook, or
through anger, jealousy, ambition or abuse. It is clear that a number of
these women were manipulated by outside interests.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Brian
Brian Donaghey - Dept of English Language & Linguistics - Tel. 0114 22 20213
...nec bibliothecae potius comptos ebore ac vitro parietes quam tuae mentis
sedem requiro, in qua non libros, sed id quod libris pretium facit,
librorum quondam meorum sententias, collocavi.--Boethius I pr.5
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