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The travelling confessor of Bere Ferrers

OR Insight

Abstract

A medieval document in Exeter Cathedral Library includes a page that lists people and property in the South-West of Devon. It appears to show the route of a 14-day journey taken by a clergyman acting as the confessor for the parishioners. If so, it is the only extant evidence for the practice of such a confessor visiting the homes of the parish rather than the parishioners attending the church. This article examines the list and offers evidence that supports the belief that the clergyman made the mapped journey, although it cannot be proved that it took him 14 days, or that he heard confessions during it.

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Acknowledgements

My thanks to Professor Avril Henry who read and commented on a draft of this article.

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Smith, D. The travelling confessor of Bere Ferrers. OR Insight 26, 140–148 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1057/ori.2012.16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/ori.2012.16

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