Description

This paper is a very useful guide for those looking for an introduction to the history of the Abbey and two of its most influential Abbots. It was prepared for a reading to the Faversham Society membership in March 1964 and includes a very useful overview of the history of Faversham Abbey from its beginnings in 1147 up to its Dissolution in 1538. The paper also lists the key historic sources for further research.

Following a historical overview, it focusses on the work of Walter Gore, the penultimate Abbot, whose authority gave way to John Caslock, the Abbot in post up until the Dissolution. The paper sheds interesting light on the characters of the ambitious Gore, and of Caslock who may not have fitted the image we have today of a pious and humble religious leader.