Download or read book Puritan Gentry Besieged 1650-1700 written by Trevor Cliffe and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-09-11 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The latter half of the seventeenth century saw the Puritan families of England struggle to preserve the old values in an era of tremendous political and religious upheaval. Even non-conformist ministers were inclined to be pessimistic about the endurance of `godliness' - Puritan attitudes and practices - among the upper classes. Based on a study of family papers and other primary resources, Trevor Cliffe's study reveals that in many cases, Puritan county families were playing a double game: outwardly in communion with the Church, they often employed non-conformist chaplains, and attended nonconformist meetings.