Surname Index

to

Origin and upgrowth of the English parish, illustrated by material taken from the Exeter episcopal registers

by

O.J. Reichel

London: The Society of SS Peter and Paul; York Books XXXII, Continuity Tracts, (1921), 24 pp.

Prepared by Michael Steer

Most writings on church history have been concerned mainly with church hierarchy, and with theology, liturgy and canon law. Reichel's monograph examines the church 'from below', from the lowest stratum of its organisation - the parish. The author discusses in turn the origin and development, over a 700 year period, of the system of precisely-defined parishes, and their function, illustrating the progression with examples taken from Exeter's collection of episcopal registers. The parish, as we know it today, was a complete entity by about 1402, and its canonical position remained unaffected by the Poor Law of 1601, made necessary by the need to provide a substitute for the charitable offices previously provided gratuitously by the monasteries. The monograph was reprinted in Trans. Devon. Assoc. (1920), 52. This rare and much sought-after book was produced digitally by Google from a copy in the University of California Library collection and can be downloaded from HathiTrust. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.