Since the foundation of the town by King John, Liverpool has had a church by the river. Over the following centuries dozens more churches came and went, but the imprint of the activity of the Parish of Liverpool on the city and people was profound. Particularly until the mid-nineteenth century (and at times afterwards) the history of the town was inseparable from her church, and their unusually strong relationship is not replicated in other cities. Control of the church sat with the corporation (down to the council's instruction to the incumbent in 1612 to get his hair cut!), and the town claimed ownership of the church and its contents. Between the seventeenth and the nineteenth centuries the health and social care for the town was run from the church under the Elizabethan Poor Law. A beautiful book that makes essential and fascinating reading for anyone who loves Liverpool and its rich history.