Syon Abbey and the Book Trade
This paper discusses the relationship between Syon Abbey after its return to
England in 1861, and its interactions with the antiquarian book trade at the
turn of the 20th century, which will be an initial foray into modern Syon’s
attempt at a sort of ‘repatriation’ of their medieval libraries. Syon Abbey,
England’s first and only Birgittine monastery, was founded in 1415 and its
members went into exile on the Continent after the Reformation, eventually
settling in Lisbon, Portugal. In 1861 they returned to England, living first in
Dorset and then in 1925 moving to Devon. It was at this time that they began
devoting their energies to tracing and reacquiring some of their lost
possessions, including books that once lived in their renowned medieval
libraries. This included locating and purchasing books through the
antiquarian book trade, presumably, I argue, in an effort to re-connect with
their medieval roots.
This page was last updated on 7 January 2025
