Tom Wilkinson on Tewkesbury Abbey

  2nd June 2014

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We’re proud and excited about the news that a former student of ours, Tom Wilkinson, has just received a prestigious award for work he conducted as part of his dissertation here at Gloucestershire.

Tom’s dissertation, which I had the pleasure of supervising, centred on the experience of Tewkesbury Abbey during the Reformation. It was a fascinating study which emphasised the contingent nature of the period, and the extent to which local communities could be very much devoted to their places – and practices – of worship.

Tom published a form of this dissertation in the Bulletin of the Tewkesbury Historical Society, and that work has now been recognised, with Tom receiving the annual Woodard Award. This is awarded to an article published in the THS Bulletin during the preceding year which, in the opinion of judges David Evans and Dr Steven Blake, is well-written, well-researched and places its subject in a broad historical context.

Tom’s THS article, ‘Did the purchase of Tewkesbury Abbey reflect the continuation of traditional Catholic belief?’ asks a very good question – and clearly answered it with aplomb! Great work, Tom: it’s really satisfying to see our students continuing and being recognised for good historical study!