The Victorian Parson

A beautifully written history of the Church and the Victorian age, from the viewpoint of the parson in his central, ground-level role within a society in the throws of economic, spiritual, architectural, social and scientific revolution, one in which the Church was the early force for change.
The Victorian parson is an unsung hero. Legend and literature portray him as a buffoon or a charlatan. At best, he is the bearer of a thin veneer of piety as a cover for hypocrisy. It is true that stories of louche, lazy or plain loony vicars are easy to come by though many of these date from pre-Victorian days.
But amid an unprecedented technological and commercial revolution, the Church moved to the centre of the nation’s affairs. It was the clergy who set up schools across the country, who campaigned for healthier conditions and took the lead in promoting respect and responsibility, providing the humanitarian values to Victorian Britain which live on today.