[1] John Blair put forward a description of the early Anglo-Saxon Christian church in England in a number of publications.
[2] He believed that the organisation of the early church was based around minsters staffed by a community of clerics and providing spiritual services within a defined area (known as a parochia).
Minsters were established close to royal vills, as part of the process by which pagan communities were converted to Christianity.
[3] During 10th and 11th centuries, parochial duties were increasingly taken over by estate churches which were the property of local land owners.
Clues to identification of minsters include references to groups of priests; a church endowment exceeding one hide; tenure by a royal or named clerk; a separate valuation or survey or some additional sign of status.