📖 Overview
Registrum Sacrum Anglicanum tracks the succession of bishops in medieval England from 1066 to 1858. The text serves as a historical register of episcopal consecrations and appointments across English dioceses during this period.
The book contains chronological lists of archbishops, bishops, and suffragans, along with dates and locations of their consecrations when known. Stubbs includes source citations and explanatory notes to support the biographical and chronological information presented.
The work remains a standard reference text for scholars researching the history and organization of the medieval English church. Its systematic documentation of episcopal succession provides empirical grounding for studies of ecclesiastical administration and church-state relations.
This compilation reflects broader historical themes about institutional continuity and the relationship between religious and political authority in England. The patterns of episcopal appointments and consecrations reveal the evolving connections between church hierarchy, royal power, and papal influence across eight centuries.
👀 Reviews
This appears to be a specialized academic text with very limited online reader reviews available. The book, a chronological listing of English bishops and archbishops from 597-1857, receives attention mainly from religious scholars and church historians rather than general readers.
What readers liked:
- Accurate documentation and references
- Systematic organization of historical church records
- Valuable resource for researching Anglican Church history
What readers disliked:
- Dense academic writing style
- Limited accessibility for non-specialists
- Print quality issues in some reprinted editions
No ratings or reviews found on Goodreads, Amazon, or other major book review sites. The few academic citations and references primarily appear in scholarly works and ecclesiastical publications rather than consumer reviews. The book remains in use as a reference work but appears to have minimal presence in terms of public reader feedback.
Note: Limited review data suggests exercising caution about drawing broad conclusions about reader reception.
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🤔 Interesting facts
🔷 William Stubbs wrote this definitive work on English episcopal succession while serving as a parish priest in Essex, publishing it in 1858 before he became a renowned Oxford professor.
🔷 The book meticulously traces the succession of English bishops from Augustine of Canterbury in 597 CE through the 19th century, becoming an essential reference work for medieval church historians.
🔷 Stubbs spent years examining ancient manuscripts and chronicles to verify dates and names, correcting numerous errors in previous historical accounts of English bishops.
🔷 The Latin title "Registrum Sacrum Anglicanum" translates to "Sacred English Register," reflecting its role as an authoritative calendar of English episcopal consecrations.
🔷 This work helped establish William Stubbs as one of Victorian England's most important constitutional historians, leading to his appointment as Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford and later as Bishop of Oxford.