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Records of Early English Drama is proud to announce the publication of 
the latest volume in the series and the first for the London area…

Ecclesiastical London edited by Mary C. Erler

Continuing in the tradition established by previous volumes of the 
Records of Early English Drama, Ecclesiastical London presents the 
ecclesiastically-generated dramatic records of London, notably its 
parishes and St. Paul's Cathedral. Among the topics addressed by editor 
Mary Erler are parish calendar customs such as hocking and maying, 
parish pageant cars and costumes, and the widespread popularity of boy 
bishops and of Palm Sunday prophets throughout London. Erler also looks 
at St. Paul's choristers' theatre under master Sebastian Westcote and 
examines its controversial venue.

Among the many primary source materials examined in this volume are 
records from London’s religious houses and parish accounts, as well as 
episcopal visitation injunctions and other documents of control and 
authority at the time. Ecclesiastical London concludes with ten 
invaluable appendices that look at subjects ranging from Paul's Cross 
sermons to boy bishops. This volume presents a significant amount of 
new information about the history of drama in London, including 
discussion of a previously unknown performance by 'the clerks of 
London' in 1391–92, and the 1540 inventory of Henry Walton, which 
contains two substantial collections of costumes, identifying Walton as 
an important theatrical entrepreneur of the mid-sixteenth century.

This extensively researched volume is an important addition to the REED 
series and will be fascinating to those interested in the history of 
London and of the theatre in general.
 
Mary C. Erler is a professor in the Department of English at Fordham 
University.

Published by the University of Toronto Press and The British Library. 
2008.

Ordering details can be found online at the following:

http://www.utpress.utoronto.ca/utp_D1/order.htm
http://www.bl.uk/services/publications.html