The lay contribution to the Anglo-Catholic movement in the Church of England: 1845 to 1901

In this work the lay contribution to the Anglo-Catholic movement in the Church of England from 1845 to 1901 is examined. Chapters are devoted to the English Church Union, Church of England Working Men's Society, female religious communities, the guild movement and the work of lay patrons in the field of church building. The study reveals that Ritualism, thought to be so popular in this time period, was not a primary motivation for the Anglo-Catholic laity. It also shows that, while they were intensely devoted to the movement, the groups examined were also prone to extreme tensions, petty jealousies, and financial irregularities.Of the five groups presented in this work only the female religious communities have been addressed by historians. The English Church Union and Church of England Working Men's Society have existed to this point only as footnotes to the work of highly regarded members of the clergy. The guild movement has been viewed in terms of Stewart Headlam's Guild of St. Matthew, yet this study reveals that Headlam's organisation was the exception rather than the rule. Alexander Beresford Hope and Robert Brett have both been given fleeting mention in literature which covers the church building projects of the era. An examination of their extensive correspondence with episcopacy of the era has allowed for this study to give new insight into the characters and activities of both Hope and Brett.The organisations which are presented show the degree to which there was strong lay-led contingent in a movement that has, until now, been regarded as very much under clerical control. What is most apparent from this study is that there was a devoted laity attached to the Anglo-Catholic movement which sought to embody the High Anglican ideals of the Eucharistic Community