Introduction

Abstract The Reformation period in Bristol brought dramatic changes in the city’s ecclesiastical institutions, in the number and character of its clergy, and in relationships between clergy and laity. The examination of these changes is the purpose of this study. English towns and cities experienced the Reformation differently from the rest of the primarily rural nation because of the presence of municipal authorities and large concentrations of clergy, both concerned with preserving their own power and privileges. The towns and cities may not have been typical of the rest of the country, as H. G. Owen rightly said of London, but their stories can still contribute something more to our understanding of the Reformation than exceptions which contrast with the typical. If common denominators of the urban Reformation can be found, the experiences of the towns and cities may be viewed as a part of the whole nation’s experience rather than a contrast to it. The urban experience can provide another facet in our understanding of the Reformation, which may change the appearance of the whole.