Syon Abbey, the English Birgittine double monastery founded in 1415 by King Henry V as a Royal Foundation rose to prominence as a citadel of scholarship and learning in the late fifteenth through early sixteenth centuries. It was particularly known for its extensive libraries. Syon's notoriety for its manuscript and book production, and for the brothers’ preaching made the abbey influential among the English laity.
Susan Powell's work examines the preaching and publication of religious texts during the height of Syon's existence from the late fifteenth through early sixteenth centuries. She does this by presenting a compendium of a decade (1998–2008) of her writings on the topics of the sermons and publications of Syon Abbey. To this collection, she adds two additional chapters, and two appendices. The idea for this book was birthed October, 2005 at the Early Book Society conference at Belfast, Ireland when she was asked to compile her previous publications on Syon Abbey. This work is the eleventh volume in the Texts and Transitions series.
Following the foreword, Powell provides an extensive survey of the best available secondary works on Syon followed by a list of the most substantive scholarly contributors to this Abbey. She also identifies Latin and Middle English primary works essential to Syon Abbey. This section of the book is a good introductory resource to those new to the study of this Birgittine royal house.
Chapter 1 and chapter 7 serve to bookend the work. Chapter 1 provides relevant background information on Syon. Chapter 7 contains a portion of previously published material but expands it significantly as she explores noteworthy personages and their connections to Syon Abbey. Chapters 2–6 contain Powell's previously published articles with appropriate revisions and/or edits reflecting her subsequent research. The few revisions and edits to these chapters are “marked by square brackets with an accompanying explanatory footnote” (xi). These chapters contain a headword contextualizing the original publication and, when relevant, provide reasons for modifications to the original. Each chapter concludes with an afterword presenting new research since the original publication date.
An additional word must be made on the bookend chapters. Chapter 1, the only chapter fully original to this book, lays a historical foundation by briefly introducing St. Birgitta (also known as Bridget of Sweden) and her founding of the Birgittine Order. Powell explains English connections to Birgitta and her Order to explain the reason for Syon as a Royal Foundation. The chapter also provides an “overview of the state of current research in those areas relevant to the book” (xi). Excellent detail on the background of noteworthy brothers of Syon, including glimpses into the books they owned and their scribal work is included. The women are treated equally as well except for omitting the conflict that emerged with the first abbess over her intended role as outlined in Henry's original charter versus the actual role she was permitted to carry out. The chapter further glosses over important details of the reasons why Henry V founded Syon instead of his father, Henry IV.
Chapter 7 focuses on personages connected with Syon during and following the reign of Henry VIII. The chapter contains previously published material on Margaret Pole and her “household servant Margaret Windsor, who became a nun at Syon and later prioress” (214). To this material she adds helpful information on extant books and their presumed owners.
The work concludes with helpful appendices, the first of which provides a bibliography of Syon texts, and the second a list of woodcuts of St. Birgitta found in printed editions connected to Syon. The extensive bibliography followed by an index of archives, manuscripts, and printed books connected to Syon adds to the value of this work for those new to Syon and those seeking to deepen their scholarly research.
Since 2008, there has been a plethora of scholarly research on Syon Abbey. While Powell incorporates additional thoughts to her previously printed materials, there is nothing substantively new added to the research of Syon Abby or its book use and trade in these chapters. Even the bookend chapters provide little new substantive materials. However, for those new to the study of Syon Abbey, this book can be a valuable resource given its readability, and meticulous documentation from the best available and most reliable sources on the topic up to 2016. The extensive bibliography is also most useful to both seasoned and new scholars of Syon Abbey. While it is convenient to have all of Powell's previous articles in one place, the cost of the book calls into question the real value of the book for purchase given the minimal amount of new material added to the topic.
Powell concludes the work acknowledging the difficulty of locating, let alone tracing, the history of the books of Syon. She further admits that “although we know much more about the preaching and print of Syon abbey … there is much that remains a puzzle” (269). Powell's book could be an excellent starting point for fresh eyes to uncover hints toward new discoveries into this amazing monastic community.
