This is the first study to consider the meaning of Anglicanism for ordinary people in nineteenth-century England. Drawing extensively on unpublished sources, particularly those for rural areas, Frances Knight analyses the beliefs and practices of lay Anglicans and of the clergy who ministered to them. Building on arguments that the Church of England was in transition from state church to denomination, she argues that strong continuities with the past nevertheless remained. Through an examination of denominational identity, personal piety, Sunday church-going, and Anglican rites of passage she shows that the Church continued to cater for the beliefs and values of many Christians. Far from becoming a minority sect, the Anglican Church in the mid-Victorian period continued to claim the allegiance of one in four English people.

Britain was the first modern European country to adopt the widespread practice of cremation, and by 2010, it took place in around three-quarters of all funerals. Although the clergy had ceased to be the exclusive custodians of funeral ritual, their views and example remained highly significant in conveying approval, or disapproval, of cremation to their religious constituencies. This article explores attitudes to cremation among the English Anglican and Roman Catholic leadership in the twentieth-century. In the first half of the century, a number of high profile Anglican bishops promoted cremation by both teaching and example. The Roman Catholic Church, however, remained opposed to the practice, which it equated with atheism and inhumanity. Although the Catholic position began to soften from the 1960s, it is evident that some reticence about cremation remains. The different approaches to cremation illuminate a subtle religious and cultural fault line between the two ecclesial communities which has hitherto been little explored. The article highlights the role of the Cremation Society of Great Britain in working with members of both Churches to normalise cremation.

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In 1993, all 37 private nursing homes in Mid-Staffordshire were invited to take part in this study, and 16 agreed. Over 1 year, a nurse audit facilitator visited these homes to teach staff, and stimulate and assist with audit projects. At the beginning and end of the 12-month period, the residents were assessed by administered questionnaires and by the short Geriatric Depression Scale. Thirteen of the 16 homes undertook at least one audit project during the study (ten of these had never previously carried out audit). Ten homes made at least one major procedural change during the study. Of the 570 residents of the 16 homes, 138 answered both questionnaires. The main reasons for non-inclusion were poor mental and physical conditions. Satisfaction levels improved significantly in six out of the 11 aspects of care studied. The mean Geriatric Depression Score in these 138 residents fell from 4.73 at the start, to 4.25 at the end of the study (p = 0.02). The fall in the mean score was significantly greater in the ten homes that had made at least one major change (from 4.40 to 3.81) than in the six homes that had made no major change (from 5.33 to 5.17). The introduction of audit into co-operative private nursing homes is associated with improvements in the standards of care, but it is uncertain whether this is a direct consequence of the audit carried out, or is due to the non-specific effects of an outside assessor visiting the homes. There is a need for methods of assessment that can be applied to higher proportions of nursing home residents.