Reginald Maxwell Woolley

Writing in the early 20th century, this English priest combined parish work with serious historical scholarship. Records from The National Archives describe him as an Anglican clergyman and author, and his books present careful studies of Christian liturgy and ceremony in a way that remains accessible to modern readers.

His best-known works include The Liturgy of the Primitive Church (1910) and Coronation Rites (1915). In the opening pages of Coronation Rites, he is identified as Rector and Vicar of Minting and Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Lincoln, which helps place his scholarship within the world of church ministry as well as academic study.

Woolley focused on the history of worship: how services were formed, how ancient texts were used, and how ceremonies developed over time. That mix of scholarship and practical church experience gives his writing a steady, thoughtful tone, especially for listeners interested in religious history, liturgy, and the symbolic power of public ritual.