Acknowledgements
My deepest thanks are due to many people for their help in completing this monograph. Firstly, I owe the Arts and Humanities Research Council a huge debt for funding my doctoral studies at Durham University (2014â2020) and research trip to the Huntington Library, San Marino, California (2016), via the Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership and International Placement Scheme. Alongside their financial support, without which I would not have been able to begin my studies at Durham, the Northern Bridge fellowship provided opportunities to engage with colleagues among my cohort and specialists within and beyond my fields in a vibrant and engaging environment. The International Placement Scheme contributed to my research more directly, providing the opportunity to spend three months in the reading rooms of the Huntington evaluating hundreds of copies of sixteenth-century printed books. This time was fundamental to this bookâs chapter on technical and stylistic development but the experience, insight and fresh lines of enquiry it provided are found throughout.
This book is the extension of my doctoral research at Durham University. I am enormously grateful to my supervisors, Alec Ryrie and Natalie Mears, whose support throughout this process was invaluable. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Natalie for encouraging me to participate in the National State Prayers Project and Alec for his introduction to the Journal of Ecclesiastical History, where I have enjoyed reviewing works since 2018. Alecâs constant guidance has been instrumental and without it, this process may never have been completed. My examiners Professors Richard Gameson (Durham University) and Peter Marshall (University of Warwick) provided insightful, challenging and diligent feedback, which have informed my work and brought clarity to my writing and arguments. Beyond my doctoral years, I must also note my gratitude to the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham for continuing to support my research by awarding me an Honorary Fellowship in 2021. I am also grateful for the continued mentorship and guidance of Matthew McLean, who guided me through my MLitt dissertation at St Andrews, and Maurice Whitehead, whose early modern England module at Swansea University pulled me towards a topic I have yet to set aside. Whether introducing me to fascinating books, opportunities or individuals, I have always valued their guidance and insight.
I must also thank the teams at the research libraries I have visited throughout this project, including the Huntington, Durham Universityâs Palace Green special collections and the National Library of Scotland. At the Huntington, the team was so kind throughout my placement and endured my daily requests for more and more books. The staff at the National Library of Scotland and Palace Green Library have also been extremely patient and accommodating, bringing their newest additions and oldest pieces with equal enthusiasm and encouragement. The images used throughout this monograph are reproduced with the kind permission of the Huntington Library, San Marino, California and the National Library of Scotland.
I also owe a considerable debt to the Universal Short Title Catalogue (USTC) team at St Andrews, particularly Andrew Pettegree and Graeme Kemp, who facilitated my research by providing the data upon which much of this research rest. This project first came to life during my MLitt studies in St Andrews and I am delighted to have maintained contact with the department.
I have been very fortunate to present my research throughout my studies. These events have provided occasions to learn from others, re-evaluate my findings and sharpen my outputs. In particular, I would like to note the chances to present at the European Reformation Research Group (ERRG) at Birmingham University, The University of St Andrews School of History Seminar Series and the USTC conference. From the latter, I am enormously grateful to Nina Lamal, Helmer Helmers and Jamie Cumby who helped shepherd my âPrinting for the Reformationâ article through the press with their invaluable feedback and perseverance.
Beyond the academic world, I would like to thank my friends and family for their support throughout and beyond my research. My parents have encouraged my academic goals throughout my itinerant university career, whether studying nearby or across the Atlantic Ocean. When writing up my doctoral thesis from Edinburgh, my support network was strengthened by an incredible group of individuals and the space they created with âThe Men Who:â. Finally, I give all of my love and thanks to my wife who has been there from the beginning of this project until its submission and publication. I am enormously grateful for your support as you endured every false hope moment and celebrated every milestone success by my side.
and what does Doctor Richards have to say this time?
c.2007, a despairing secondary school history teacher, Gloucestershire, UK
Thank you for the push
CDR
January 2023