I am called Alban

The story of St Alban and his legacy

Laurence Attewill

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English

The Choir Press
04 July 2023

Biography: religious & spiritual; British & Irish history; Religious communities & monasticism

There are many excellent books on St Albans, its cathedral and its history but Laurence Attewill brings a fresh focus on Alban and his legacy. I Am Called Alban tells the Alban story in an easy and readable style, and makes the case that a thread of continuity can be traced through the whole period despite existential threats. I Am Called Alban does not shrink from asking awkward questions: who was Alban and was he really martyred and if so, when?

Did his cult, given a huge boost by St Germanus in the 5th century, survive the Saxon take-over in the centuries following the Roman secession? Was the Saxon monastery really founded by King Offa? Why did the Norman Archbishop Lanfranc, attach so much importance to the status of St Alban as the English protomartyr? And what did the monks of this rejuvenated monastery, the most important in the country, actually do? Following the dissolution of the monastery in the Reformation, how did the Abbey church, bigger than most cathedrals, survive as the parish church of the decidedly modest town of St Albans? The story is concluded with the dramatic events that led to the elevation of the Abbey as the cathedral of a new diocese in the 19th century.

By: Laurence Attewill
Imprint: The Choir Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 16mm
Weight: 470g
ISBN: 9781789633467
ISBN 10: 178963346X
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 04 July 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface; Acknowledgements; Part One: The First Millennium; 1 Background; 2 The Martyrdom of Alban; 3 The Anglo-Saxon Transition; 4 Political Consolidation, Religious Conversion; 5 The Saxon Monastery of St Alban; 6 The Norman Abbey; 7 Conclusion to Part One; Part One Timeline; Part Two: The Medieval Monastery; 8 Historical Setting; 9 The St Albans Monastery; 10 The Fruits of Their Labours; 11 The End of St Albans Monastery; Part Two Timeline; Part Three: From Parish Church to Cathedral; 12 The Parish Church of St Alban in a Period of Religious Turmoil; 13 The Long Eighteenth Century - The Great Slumber; 14 Rebirth; Part Three Timeline; Epilogue; Index

Laurence Attewill, born in St Albans, developed a profound love of, and fascination with, St Albans Abbey, where he was a chorister. This association, which was continued at St Albans School, was maintained throughout his career as a water engineer by strong familial ties with St Albans. He is not an academic or a professional historian and his only qualifications for writing this book are a deep interest in church history, music, art and architecture and a passion for his subject.