Saving the Souls of Medieval London has its origin in a 2003 dissertation researched and written under the supervision of Caroline Barron at Royal Holloway College, University of London. In this book, Marie-Hélène Rousseau has produced a meticulously researched, clearly organized, and well-written study that students of medieval Christianity, London history, and Reformation history will wish to consult. Saving the Souls of Medieval London is an erudite and impressive account of the chantries of St. Paul’s Cathedral. In the course of six chapters, with an introduction and a conclusion, Rousseau “demonstrates the flexibility and adaptability of these pious foundations and explores the contributions they made to the clerical and lay communities in which they were established” (9).

The author begins with an examination of evidence from St. Paul’s while also maintaining enough of a comparative approach to offer a wider English context; Rousseau is thus able to demonstrate how the establishment of chantries in St. Paul’s both conformed to and differed from the pattern found at other cathedrals. In general, chantries began to be established in the last decades of the twelfth century; St. Paul’s earliest was probably established in 1181 (11). Who tended to establish perpetual chantries—there were eighty-four by 1548—changed over time. The earliest endowments were established by important men (bishops, an archdeacon) connected to the cathedral (12). Over time, the lower clergy and others also began to establish perpetual chantries. Sixty of these eighty-four predate 1350 (31), and in the following century and a half the cathedral authorities sought to preserve established chantries instead of encouraging the foundation of new ones. The practice of using subsequent bequests for mortuary endowments to augment currently existing foundations helped to preserve existing chantries and also allowed a larger scope for participation by those who had less to bequeath.

The second chapter, “Managing Chantries,” examines deeds and wills so as to offer comment on the practical requirements stipulated in the original foundation. Donors worried about the quality of chaplains, issues of plurality, and who would have the responsibility for the selection of future priests. The deep interest that patrons expressed in shaping chantry foundations will surprise few people, but some of the particulars will, such as the establishment of a library along with a chantry (64–65).

The arrival of a large number of chantries transformed the space of the cathedral, but apparently some areas were more desirable than others (70). Most chantry priests were members of the lower canons, and their number increased to meet the new demand created by the chantries. Furthermore, the increase in lower canons also “spurred the construction of colleges where, after 1391, the chaplains were obliged to reside” (67). Given that Rousseau estimates 810 men served as chaplains before 1548 (123), the operations of the cathedral and its staff also changed to accommodate such an increase in personnel.

One of the essential primary sources in this study is the “Chapter Act Books,” in which “the Dean and Chapter conscientiously registered the successive appointments of chantry chaplains” and which survive for the years 1411–48 (93). It is heavily cited over several chapters. Rousseau exploits this source, among other things, to demonstrate that the Dean and Chapter pursued numerous legal strategies to maintain the often complex stipulations and requests of compliance specified in numerous wills and leases (96).

In chapter 5, “Serving Chantries,” the author poses a series of questions regarding the chantry chaplains. Where did they originate? Were they well educated? Did they remain connected to their appointments for a lengthy period of time, or did they move from chantry to chantry? Some questions require a brief discussion of methodological strategies, followed by observations from Rousseau’s sources, and an answer. And so, apparently “most” of the cathedral’s chantry chaplains appear to have originated from the diocese, with a “significant minority” that came from elsewhere; educational levels rose in the later period under consideration, but the early chaplains appeared not to be particularly educated; and, senior chaplains did not transfer appointments very much, but younger ones did. The author concludes, “The chantry chaplains of St. Paul’s formed a heterogeneous group of clerics” (144). Many had connections to parish churches, especially London parish churches, but Rousseau does not truly develop the cultural or political significance of these ties.

By the midpoint of this study, the intercessory system represented a substantial aspect of the cathedral’s spiritual and daily operations. The dismantling of this system is the subject of the last chapter, which finds that most of the minor canons submitted to the government’s directives. In fact, Rousseau states that only one minor canon appeared to embrace the new faith with any enthusiasm (166). By 1550, the cathedral was transformed. Chantries, which had once been located throughout the interior space, were removed, with the spaces left open or filled with communion tables (70, 159).

In general, Rousseau argues against a negative picture of chantries and their chaplains, of which there is a long history. The author specifically cites works of medieval literature (Chaucer) and Victorian antiquarianism (William Sparrow Simpson) that have supported this more critical viewpoint, and she builds on the insights already established in modern historiography (Rosalind Hill). Saving the Souls of Medieval London, on the contrary, presents the chantries and their priests as “fully integrated into the life of the cathedral” instead of augmentative institutions that drained the wealth of the church (170). It does so in a convincing manner and provides a wealth of information in the process.