author
H. F. (Herbert Francis) Westlake
1879–1925
A clergyman and historian of Westminster Abbey, he wrote accessible books that brought medieval English church life and the abbey’s long story to a wider readership. His work blends careful scholarship with a clear interest in the living history of Westminster.
1 Audiobook
Westminster Abbey: The last days of the monastery as shown by the life and times of Abbot John Islip, 1464-1532
by H. F. (Herbert Francis) Westlake
About the author
Born on August 3, 1879, Herbert Francis Westlake was an Anglican clergyman, historian, and author closely associated with Westminster Abbey. He was educated at Christ's Hospital and Oxford, and later served as Minor Canon, Custodian, and Historian of the Abbey.
Westlake is best known for books on Westminster and English religious history, including Westminster Abbey: The Last Days of the Monastery as Shown by the Life and Times of Abbot John Islip, 1464–1532, as well as works connected with the abbey’s history and guide literature. His writing helped preserve and explain the story of one of Britain’s most important religious and historic sites.
He died in 1925. Though not a widely known literary figure today, his books remain of interest to readers drawn to church history, medieval England, and the long, layered past of Westminster Abbey.