I recently came across The Parish in English life, 1400-1600 By Katherine L. French, Gary G. Gibbs, Beat A. Kümin, which provided some great insight into the workings of a parish and its inhabitants.

This books goes into details on the earnings and spending habits of a parish.  When I think of a parish, a religious organization comes to mind.  To read about the inventory of various church houses to include vats and cauldrons for brewing ale, I knew that I was going to enjoy learning more about English Parishes.

Another interesting chapter in the book deals with the experiences and influences women had on a parish.  How women have played an important role within a parish brings hope to finding mention of a female ancestor in parish records.