Tales from the Cathedral Library | Why does Matthew Parker deserve our sympathy and praise?

Discover the stories hidden within Chichester Cathedral’s historic library through our Tuesday morning workshop series, Tales from the Cathedral Library.

Event details

Tickets
£5.00 per person
Date
Tuesday 8 September 2026, 10:00
Venue
Dresden Room, George Bell House, 4 Canon Lane
Category
Talks & Lectures, Fundraising, Community, Tours, History & Heritage, Social, Talks & Lectures
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Each session offers a chance to explore fascinating manuscripts, rare books, and other treasures, and to discuss their significance for the Church - both then and today.

Step behind the scenes of one of Chichester’s most remarkable spaces and learn about the Cathedral Library’s treasures in a welcoming, intimate setting - where every item has a story to tell - led by Cathedral Sub-Librarian Dr Andrew Foster and Canon Chancellor, the Rev'd Dr Earl Collins.

Held in the Dresden Room, George Bell House, sessions last approximately one and a half hours and conclude with coffee, conversation, and a moment to reflect on the morning’s discoveries.

Sessions will be held on 17 February, 21 April, 16 June, 8 September & 10 November. Space cost £5.00 per session and prior booking is essential.

Explore the full schedule of upcoming topics below.

Upcoming Tales from the Cathedral Library

17 February | Richard Mountague – villain or hero of the Church of England?

Mountague was Bishop of Chichester between 1628 and 1638 and is celebrated in the cathedral in a stained-glass window. He was a controversial figure in his day thought to be trying to take the Church back to Rome, much loved later by the Oxford Movement, but thought by others to have helped to cause the Civil War.

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21 April | When, how, and by whom was the Church of England established?

Not as easy as it might seem: are we thinking of the original break with Rome under Henry VIII, the ‘Elizabethan Settlement of 1559-62’, or some later date? And what roles do we assign to Archbishops Cranmer, Parker and Whitgift? What about life for the humble clergy and their parishioners?

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16 June | Why do we have Roman Catholic works in our Cathedral library?

After 1570 it would have been illegal to hold Roman Catholic books in your home, yet cathedral and university college libraries obtained such books to engage in controversies and for many scholars Catholic works were well respected. What books are we talking about with regard to Chichester?

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8 September | Why does Matthew Parker deserve our sympathy and praise?

Matthew Parker was Queen Elizabeth’s first Archbishop of Canterbury between 1559 and 1575, yet his reputation is mixed and his work only recently coming to be appreciated.  Was he a scholar out of his depth or a canny archbishop who dealt well with the hand he was forced to play?

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10 November | Lancelot Andrewes: famous for sermons and liturgy, but over-rated?

Another celebrated Bishop of Chichester (1605-09), associated with the great King James Bible of 1611, famous for his preaching yet also as the spiritual leader of those who called for ‘the beauty of holiness’ in worship.  What should we make of him now?       

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