A detailed reference work on parish churches and churchgoers in England up to the sixteenth century, written by Nicholas Orme
This study book addresses the role of parish churches in the religious and social life of England from the Anglo-Saxon period to the sixteenth century. Nicholas Orme describes how these churches came into being, who staffed them, and how the buildings were used. He also analyzes who attended church services, who stayed away, and how both churchgoers and the clergy influenced the course of the worship services.
The work provides an accessible explanation of daily and weekly rituals, the celebration of the church year such as Christmas and Easter, and important life events such as birth, marriage, and death. It concludes with a chapter on the English Reformation in the sixteenth century, showing that many aspects of church life continued despite these changes.