The social world of early modern Westminster

Early modern Westminster is familiar as the location of the royal court at Whitehall, parliament, the law courts and the emerging West End. This book is the first study to provide an integrated picture of the town during this crucial period in its history. It reveals the increasingly difficult relations between the diverse groups of people who constituted local society - the court, the aristocracy, the Abbey, the middling sort, and the poor - and the competing visions of Westminster's identity which their presence engendered. It looks at the impact of the Reformation and the building of Whitehall Palace; the problem of poverty and the politics of communal responsibility; the character and significance of an increasing gentry presence; the problematic role of the post-Reformation Abbey; the nature and ideology of local governing elites; the changing religious culture of the area; the struggles over the emerging townscape; and the impact of the personal rule of Charles I. A comprehensive study, this book covers the entire period from the Reformation to the Civil War.It will make fascinating reading for historians of English society, literature and religion in this period, as well as enthusiasts of London's rich history.