A Literary and Biographical History, or Bibliographical Dictionary, of the English Catholics (5 vols.)

A Literary and Biographical History, or Bibliographical Dictionary, of the English Catholics has earned Joseph Gillow the nickname “the Plutarch of English Catholics.” This is his seminal work and the fruit of decades of antiquarian study. Gillow has meticulously crafted over 2,500 historical biographies on every major Roman Catholic in England from the time of the Reformation through the end of the 19th century. From well-known English Catholics—such as Thomas More, William Shakespeare and John Henry Newman—to lesser-known figures, Gillow goes into detail on the life, work, and influence of each person. In addition to the individual profiles, Gillow has included a bibliography of their major works. This Bibliographical Dictionary is indispensable towards studying the life of the Catholic Church in England during the centuries following the Reformation.