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Francis Aidan Gasquet
1846–1929
An English Benedictine monk, historian, and later cardinal, he wrote widely on medieval England and the history of the Catholic Church. His books helped shape popular interest in monastic life, though some of his historical work has also sparked debate among later scholars.
4 Audiobooks
The Great Pestilence (A.D. 1348-9), Now Commonly Known as the Black Death
by Francis Aidan Gasquet
English Monastic Life
by Francis Aidan Gasquet
The Eve of the Reformation
by Francis Aidan Gasquet
Breaking with the Past; Or, Catholic Principles Abandoned at the Reformation
by Francis Aidan Gasquet
About the author
Born in London in 1846, Francis Aidan Gasquet entered the Benedictine order after studying at Downside. He rose to become a prominent churchman, serving as abbot president of the English Benedictines and later being made a cardinal in 1914.
Gasquet became well known for his historical writing, especially on English monasticism, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and late medieval religious life. He wrote for a broad readership and played a major role in presenting Catholic history to English-speaking audiences.
He died in 1929. Remembered both as a senior figure in the Catholic Church and as a prolific historian, he remains an interesting and sometimes controversial voice in the study of medieval and Reformation England.