How did the Oxford Movement in the 1840s reassess William Laud’s reputation?

During the 1840s, the Oxford Movement—a group of High Anglican reformers—attempted to rehabilitate the reputation of William Laud.

While many in the 18th and 19th centuries viewed Laud negatively—with historian Thomas Babington Macaulay famously dismissing him as a "ridiculous old bigot"—the Tractarians sought to reestablish him as a significant religious leader. By emphasizing his commitment to church order, ceremony, and the continuity of the visible church, the movement aimed to align his legacy with their own efforts to assert the Church of England's identity as a truly "catholic" institution independent of state control.

However, this reassessment was described as "unconvincing" at the time, and support for Laud has largely remained confined to High Anglican clergy.1