Roman Catholic Nuns in England and Wales 1800-1937: A Social History

Roman Catholic Nuns in England and Wales 1800-1937: A Social History, was published by Irish Academic Press in 2002. Barbara Walsh's academic research at Lancaster University for her PhD in the late 1990s produced a definitive text for students studying the 19th and 20th century social history of women.

'a landmark study... should be required reading for students and researchers'

In selecting this neglected piece of social history, Barbara Walsh reveals that there was still considerable ignorance about the life and work of female religious communities in England and Wales. The influence of women who developed professional careers in education, health and social care, while at the same time dedicating themselves to religious life is presented with a wealth of material relating to their work.

Many widely held misconceptions about nuns are dispelled by her analysis of the growth and distribution of the religious orders and congregations, the scope and scale of their work and the ensuing financial and recruitment demands.

'a richly illustrated, thoroughly engaging and readable manner is one of the strengths of the book'

This book makes a novel contribution to our understanding of the provision of welfare services by non-state agencies, it explores the socio-economic origins of recruits and the importance of the contribution made by the nuns, many of them Irish women migrants, to educational and social development in England and Wales

'a fine study of a subject about which there is considerable ignorance, focusing on the manner in which nuns, through their work, impacted on secular society'

Roman Catholic Nuns in England and Wales 1800-1937: A Social History, may be obtained from the Irish Academic Press. 44, Northumberland Road, Dublin 2, Ireland or from all good bookshops and online retailers such as:

amazon.co.uk     Irish Academic Press     waterstones.com