History of Nonconformists in London, England and surrounding counties
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Location: London, England
Surnames/tags: nonconformist dissenter London
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History of Nonconformists in London, England and surrounding counties
Aim of project
To write the history of English protestant nonconformist or dissenters from the perspective of the families involved. Many of these families were nonconformist for many generations, married other nonconformist families and were part of the nonconformist community which existed across the country.
The Corporation Act of 1661 and the Test Act of 1673 were among several statutes that imposed civil and religious restrictions on non-Anglicans The Toleration Act of 1689 made public worship easier for dissenters but did not fundamentally alter their legal status as second class citizens. [1]
A good summary of the legislation that limited the freedoms of dissenters has been published by Queen Mary College, University of London
The starting point for my research are the families in London and surrounding counties, from about 1700 to about 1850.
There is clearly no list of people who were Nonconformists but individuals can be identified through church records, burial records, lists of supporters for Nonconformist causes and membership of Nonconformist organisations. It is planned to develop a picture of the Nonconformist community through these sources.
England Team Topic
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Nonconformist Churches: Categories on Wikitree
Individuals can be identified when they christen or baptise their children in nonconformist churches, and when they are buried in nonconformist burial grounds. They may have also been named as supporting nonconformist causes, such as charities or publications.
Categories of interest top this topic are:-
City of London
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| City of London |
Aldermanbury Postern Independent Chapel
The Aldermanbury Postern meeting house was built for the congregation formerly assembling in Rope-makers Alley, Moorfields. The meeting house was built in 1672 and it continued to meet there until 1753 when another building was constructed, when Rev Thomas Towle (abt.1755-abt.1828) was the minister.
In 1797 the church joined the congregation at Founders Hall, continuing under the pastoral care of Rev. Joseph Barber . Use this link Aldermanbury Postern Founders Hall for this category from 1797 onwards. For a detailed history see The History and Antiquities of Dissenting Churches and Meeting Houses, in London, Westminster, and Southwark (London, 1808-1814).
Link to the category here. 11 individuals identified by February 2024
Aldermanbury, Postern and Founder's Hall Chapel, City of London
This category is for profiles associated with this church from 1797 onwards, when it was established.
The Aldermanbury, Postern and Founder's Hall Chapel was formed in 1797 when 2 separate congregations formed a union at Aldermanbury Postern. These were
Aldermanbury Postern which met from 1672-1797.
Founder's Hall which met from 1760-1797, which met at Little St Helen’s from 1760 until 1764 and then at Founders Hall from 1764 until 1797.
Link to the category here 11 individuals identified by February 2024.
Carter Lane
Previous ministers Samuel Wright (1683-1746) the first minister and Edward Pickard (1714-1778)
The National Archives have the records from 1711-1757 [Carter Lane, Blackfriars, London]
Link to the category Carter Lane Independent Chapel, City of London category 12 individuals identified by February 2024
Not to be confused with the Carter Lane Meeting House, Southwark, Surrey category a Baptist church.
Fetter Lane
Fetter Lane Independent Chapel was founded in Fetter Lane, in the City of London in 1738. The Fetter Lane Society was founded by Peter Boehler, the London Moravian leader. They began with the purpose of meeting once a week for prayer and fellowship. Most of their members were Anglicans, most prominently John Wesley, Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield.
Link to the category here 10 individuals identified by February 2024.
Founders' Hall, aka Founders' Hall, Lothbury
Founder's Hall Chapel, London, also known as Founders Hall, Lothbury, met from 1760 until 1797
The Founders Hall congregation was formed in 1760 when Rev. Joseph Barber (1727-1810) moved to London to take charge of a newly formed church, consisting of those who had separated from Mr Samuel Pike (abt.1717-bef.1773)'s Church at Three Cranes. The church met at Little St Helens from 1760 until 1764 when the Founders Hall became vacant. In 1797 the congregation formed a union with the congregation at Aldermanbury Postern.
Link to the category here 8 individuals identified by February 2024.
Haberdashers Hall, City of London
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| Haberdashers Hall, 1820 |
The congregation met in the Hall of the Haberdashers Company, one of the guilds in London. It was an Independent church located at Haberdashers' Hall at Staining Lance and Gresham Street.
Haberdashers Hall Independent Church, Staining Lane.
Link to the category [1] 20 individuals identified by February 2024.
London Wall Scots Church
The Old Scots Church Meeting was established at Founders' Hall from 1672 and London Wall from 1764.
The church moved to Islington in 1857 on the expiry of the London Wall lease. It was known as Trinity Presbyterian Church, Canonbury and was situated on Church Road (later North Church Road), off Southgate Road.
Link to the category here 6 individuals identified by February 2024.
Paved Alley
See under Poultry Chapel
Poultry Chapel, Camomile Street
The congregation first met in 1640 under the leadership of Thomas Goodwin D.D. (1600-1680) somewhere near Thames Street and moved to the Paved Alley meeting house Lime Street, when it was built in 1672. The congregation was considerable both in numbers and wealth and had the largest collection for the fund of any church in London.
In 1755 the East India Company purchased the site. The congregation divided into two with one moving to Artillery Street (and then Whites Row, see entry) and the other moved to Miles Lane. The latter moved to the Poultry in 1785. The church then moved again and was known as The City Temple, Holborn Viaduct.
There is more detail available about Poultry Chapel.
Link to the category here 10 individuals identified by February 2024.
Essex
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| Essex |
Bocking Independent Chapel, Bocking,
The Independent Chapel, at Bocking End, adjoining Braintree, was a large and handsome building which was erected in 1707.
Link to the category here 29 individuals identified by February 2024.
Coggeshall Independent Church,
The first independent place of worship in Coggeshall was a converted barn on East Street, put to use in 1672. In 1710 a permanent chapel was built on Stoneham Street for "Protestant Dissenters from the Church of England, commonly called Independents". By 1716 there were 700 hearers including some of the wealthiest and most influential people from the local area. In 1834 the chapel was enlarged and again in 1865.
Link to the category here 33 individuals identified by February 2024.
Newland Street Independent Church, Witham
The church was founded in 1715 with Baptism and Burial records existing from 1752.
Link to the category here 27 individuals identified by February 2024.
Kent
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| Kent |
Butt Lane Independent Church, Deptford
Link to the Category here
24 individuals identified by February 2024.
Middlesex
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| Middlesex |
Bull Lane, Stepney
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| Stepney Meeting House, Bull Lane, 1783 |
Rev. Samuel Brewer (abt.1723-1796) was the minster from from 1746- 1796 and his children and some of his grandchildren were baptised in the church.
Link to the category here
52 individuals identified by February 2024.
Gravel Pit Church, Hackney,
The Gravel Pit Chapel was established in 1715-16 in Hackney, Middlesex for a Presbyterian congregation. It took its name from the gravel pit near the bowling green in Mare Street.
In 1809 the congregation moved to new premises in Paradise Place in 1809, and began to identify itself as Unitarian. The original building, from then on known as the "Old Gravel Pit Chapel", was taken over by Congregationalists. See wikipedia article on Gravel Pit Chapel
Original Gravel Pit congregation
The Mare Lane congregation went back to William Bates (1668)
1716 Daniel Mayo and George Smith or Smyth 1723–1747? George Smith alone 1747 Thomas Mole 1754–1758 Thomas Dawson Timothy Laugher, died 1769 1770–1791 Richard Price To 1792 Thomas Morgan 1791–1794 Joseph Priestley 1793–1794 Michael Maurice 1794–1805 Thomas Belsham 1805 Robert Aspland
The category for the Gravel pit Independent church is here
New Gravel Pit Chapel, Hackney
The Unitarian New Gravel Pit congregation first met on 4 November 1810, in a new building designed by the architect Edmund Aikin, nephew of Anna Letitia Barbauld, who provided his services without charge.[14] It included Charles Hennell, David Ricardo and Daniel Whittle Harvey.[1]
1810–1845 Robert Aspland 1843–1846 Thomas Sadler 1847–1852 John Boucher 1853–1857 Thomas Lethbridge Marshall In 1858 the chapel was rebuilt in a Dissenting Gothic style, to the designs of Arthur Ashpitel.
1858–1869 Robert Brook Aspland 1870–1891 James Thornely Whitehead 1893 Samuel Fletcher Williams.
Old Gravel Pit Independent Church, Hackney,
In 1810 a congregationalist group, who had seceded from the Ram's Chapel in Homerton after the death of John Eyre, leased the old Gravel Pit Chapel, then in Morning Lane, Hackney. They had gathered from 1804 at Homerton College.
1811–1850 John Pye-Smith (1774-1851) John Davies J. De K. Williams. The last service in the Old Gravel Pit Chapel was held in 1871. The congregation moved to the new Round Chapel, on the Clapton Park Estate, in Upper Clapton. From 1874 there was an Old Gravel Pit mission in the building.
Link to the category here
Pavement Chapel Moorfields, later at New North Road Hoxton
Link to the category here
34 individuals identified by February 2024.
Whites Row Independent Chapel, Spitalfields
The congregation had previously met at Artillery Lane and built the Chapel probably in about 1755, by a congregation of Independents under Edward Hitchin (abt.1726-abt.1774). Many members of the congregation at this time are said to have had Huguenot names. Hitchin died in 1774 and was succeeded by Nathaniel Trotman (abt.1751-abt.1793). The congregation was then large, drawing most of its members from within a mile of the chapel: Trotman's reception service was attended by 1,200 persons. He died in 1792 and was followed by John Goode, who served the chapel until his resignation in 1826, by which time the congregation had dwindled considerably.
Link to the category here 18 individuals identified by February 2024.
Suffolk
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| Suffolk |
Rendham Independent Chapel
The church was founded in 1650 and originally met in Sweffing, moving to Rendham in 1750. The chapel attended by Samuel Brewer (abt.1723-1796) as a child. Link to the category Independent Chapel, Rendham, Suffolk here 29 Individuals identified (February 2024)
Tacket Street Independent Church, Ipswich
Link to the category here 41 individuals identified by February 2024. Link to the churchyard category here 12 individuals identified by February 2024.
Nonconformist Burial Grounds
There are numerous burial grounds used by nonconformists, who did not wish to be buried in Anglican graveyards.
Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington
Opened in 1840 as a non-denominational cemetery, during the Victorian period, Abney Park Cemetery became an attractive resting place for nonconformist or dissenting ministers and educationalists, with many people who were Congregationalist, Baptist, Methodist and Salvation Army members. There are over 200,000 graves. See Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, London, England for more information.
The category used for those buried there is Abney Park Cemetery category
278 individuals identified by February 2024.
Bunhill Fields Burial Ground
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| Bunhill Fields Burial Ground 1873 |
Situated in Islington is the largest nonconformist burial ground in London, with about 123,000 internments. The Wikitree category has identified 245 individuals (February 2024 figure, 147 individuals January 2022 figure), so still much to be done.
The burial registers are available on Ancestry and the images often include a place of death (where the body was brought from) and sometimes the age of the person.
More details Bunhill Fields Burial Ground
There are also several publications available on the internet including The Inscriptions Upon The Tombs, Gravestones, etc., in The Dissenters Burial-Place Near Bunhill Fields written in 1717.
Some famous individuals are included in Bunhill Memorials, Sacred Reminiscences of Three Hundred Ministers (James Paul, London, 1849)
Also History of the Bunhill Fields Burial Ground first published in 1893
The category used for those buried there is Bunhill Fields Burial Ground
Deadman's Place Burial Ground, Southwark
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| map of Deadman's Burial Ground, 1746 |
On the south side of the Thames the largest and one of the most important of the Dissenters’ burial-grounds was that attached to the Independent Chapel in Deadman’s Place (now called Park Street, Southwark), originally a plague-ground, and very much used for the burial of the victims.
Notable Alexander Cruden (1699-1770) was buried there. The category used for those buried there is Deadman's Place Burial Ground, Southwark
7 individuals identified by February 2024.
Nonconformist Ministers: Categories on Wikitree
The categorisation of ministers is not straight forward. Some moved between the church of England and nonconformist churches. More commonly, ministers moved between nonconformist views, with Independents becoming Congregationalists, for example. Others changed their thinking with the growth of Arianian, Socinian and Unitarian views over time. The following categories are in use
England Nonconformist Ministers
This is for ministers of protestant independent nonconformist or dissenting churches. This is the main category used by this topic, The link to the category is here. England Nonconformist MInisters
252 individuals identified by February 2024 (225 in May 2022)
Non-English Nonconformist Ministers
This is mostly Scottish and European ministers, some of whom worked in England.. The link to the category is here. Nonconformist Ministers.
The Nonconformist Register at Dr William's Library
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| Dr William's Library, Cripplegate, 1829 |
Many nonconformist churches maintained their own christening or baptism records which can be searched on the well known sites. In addition, many families registered the birth of their children at the library, and they category for these registrations is Dr William's Library.
Amongst its aims was that, for a small fee, it kept a central registry of the births mainly (but not solely) of non-conformist families, to avoid the necessity of having to have a child baptised in the Anglican Church. Over 49,000 births were registered up until the national registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths began in 1837. The Wikitree category has identified 267 individuals (February 2024 figure, up from 90 in May 2021), so still much to be done.
More information available about Dr Williams Library
Subscribers to Nonconformist Publications
The nonconformist community produced a significant amount of printed material and some of the publications represented a significant financial risk to the author. In order to mitigate this, individuals would be asked to subscribe to the publication before printing, and would have their names listed. This practice was widespread and provides numerous lists of individuals who were either genuine supporters, family members or friends of the author.
The History of the Dissenting Academy at Homerton 1812
The history of the Dissenting Academy at Homerton published in 1812 includes a significant list of supporters, subscribers and ministers who were educated there. The freespace page has links to over 190 of those named.
Rise, Progress, and Establishment of the Independence of the United States
William Gordon (1728-1807) was a nonconformist pastor at Gravel Lane Southwark, before he went to America. He returned to England ands published, in 1788, "History of the Rise, Progress, and Establishment of the Independence of the United States", in 4 volumes. He raised over £300 from over 400 named subscribers. This source has been linked to 24 profiles (March 2022).
Seventeen Sermons on Important Subjects
This is a collection of sermons written and preached by the nonconformist minister Samuel Hayward (1718-1757) and published the year after his death. It the sermons were compiled and edited by John Conder D.D. (1714-1781). The sale of the book helped provide financially for Mrs Conder
About 350 people subscribed to the book before it was published and this provides a list of his friends and associates, mostly within the nonconformist community. 31 have been identified so far (February 2024).
Dissenting Deputies
The London Dissenting Duputies were an organisation of prominent London laymen of the Three Denominations of Old Dissent (Presbyterians, Independents and Baptists) formed in 1732 and dedicated to protecting and expanding the civil rights of Dissenters through legal action.
The full account of the history can be read here British History on Line
The biographical details of the 1786-1790 Committee [2]and the 1827-28 committee provides other lists of key nonconformist's from this period.[3] Links to known Protestant Dissenting Deputies are here.
Nonconformist Associations and Charities
A large number of groups and associations existed and many were widely supported. Of particular interest are those who published lists of their subscribers or supporters, sometimes with addresses and dates, which can be used to identify individuals.
Society for Promoting Religious Knowledge among the Poor
The Society for Promoting Religious Knowledge among the Poor was established in 1750, to provide Bibles, Testaments and other good books where most needed.
The Society was founded by a group of London based dissenters, led by Benjamin Forfitt, who had been sending Bibles to Philip Doddridge (1702-1751) in the year before. Thomas Gibbons (1720-1785) hosted their first meeting and became a keen supporter.
Although their origins were in the dissenting community, their membership was interdenominational and included many from the Evangelical wing of the Church of England. [4]
Their annual reports included lists of their supporters, many of whom were from well established nonconformist families. The names (and occasionally addresses) of supporters were published in their reports and 23 individuals have been identified and linked to profiles (May 2021).
The Orphan Working School
The Orphan Working School, Hoxton was founded on the 10th May 1758 by Edward Pickard (1714-1778) for the orphans of dissenting families. Attendance at a local nonconformist church was required. The 1769 report includes details of the rules of the charity with a list of about 250 supporters, who appear to all be from the nonconformist community. Links to profiles are created as people are identified, with 20 identified so far (February 2024).
London Annuity Society
The London Annuity Society was established by a group of nonconformist to provide annuities for their wives when they died. They sought a Royal Charter of Incorporation in 1765 and the National Archives has the names of those who involved. Out of the original 24 men named in the Petition, 15 have been identified and linked to profiles.
Nonconformist Schools
Horsley Down Dissenters Charity School, also known as Maze Pond
The school was established in 1714 in Horsley Down, to educate boys and girls. The school was supported by the nonconformist community. The school moved to Maze Pond, Southwark in 1790. The 1796 publication, a brief account of the Protestant Dissenters Charity School includes names and addresses of their numerous supporters, from the nonconformist community
A variety of nonconformist schools were set up, which include fee paying schools and charity schools.
John Ryland's school
Schools were set up to educate the sons of Nonconformists, such as the school run by Rev John Collet Ryland, in Northampton. Several LOndon families sent their sons. See Rev John Collet Ryland's Scholars.
John Pye Smith's school
Rev John Pye Smith established a school for Nonconformist families in Mill Hill, north London in 1807.
Dissenting Academies
The dissenting academies were schools, colleges and seminaries (often institutions with aspects of all three) run by English Dissenters, that is, those who did not conform to the Church of England. They formed a significant part of England's educational systems from the mid-seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. See | Dissenting Academies Wikipedia Article for the history.
Gosport Academy
The category for students and staff of the academy is {https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Gosport_Academy here] with 5 people identified (February 2024)
Homerton Academy
The 1812 History of the Dissenting Academy at Homerton provides a history of the Academy with some details of who had attended but also a list of current supporters. The supporters list provides a clue as to the key nonconformists in London at the time. 192 profiles have been identified and linked to the page (March 2022)
The category for students and staff of the academy is here 137 Individuals identified (February 2024).
Mile End Dissenting Academy
The category for students and staff of the academy is here with 15 people identified (February 2024)
Plaisterers Hall Dissenting Academy
The category for students and staff of the academy is here with 15 people identified (February 2024)
Links to other pages
The Sandemanian Church
An overview of research into the Sandemanian Church
Research into the London Sandemanian Church and the questions I am seeking to answer
The arrival of Sandemanianism in London with details of the people involved and the impact on the nonconformist community
Other nonconformist families
London Nonconformist Glass Cutters, the Leathley, Chater and Hayward Families
Entries that use this source
WikiTree Profiles that use this source
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I have been compiling a history of my Willmott ancestry for over 30 years now and one prominent theme from the early 1800s (at the latest) is that they all described themselves as "Dissenters". I am in possession of a document written by my 2x great grandfather William in which he wrote ""Although my parents were staunch dissenters, I was 'christened' at Islington Parish Church. This was done because there was at that time no satisfactory mode of registering births outside the English Church - so my mother said." After his emigration to Australia, he wrote as his reason for leaving - "I had long been dissatisfied with the artificial and unreal mode in English among the people we were brought into contact with. Everyone seemed to be enslaved to conventional usages. We also laboured under the disadvantage of being Dissenters, a disadvantage unknown to this colony. At this time an opportunity offered itself of emigrating to Victoria. Several of my friends had done so, among them my wife's brother. All had prospered. We therefore thought it advisable to take the opportunity to escape to the freedom of a new land."
As best I understand, I think we would classify the family as either Baptist or Presbyterian but in any event William was a preacher of sorts and an career educator, opening an establishment known as the Upton Academy in both Richmond, Melbourne and Islington, Essex before emigrating.
I refer William and the family to you for your information. You can find his letters here.
edited by Murray Willmott
edited by Shirley Blomfield
I am working on adding information from my family tree in Family Search to wikitree, which may be of interest to you in this project.
I wanted to let you know that so far I have added in Samuel Luke (abt. 1744 - 1804) was married to Obedience North (1746-1798) and was the son of Samuel Luke (1708-1768) and Elizabeth Fordham. Obedience North was the daughter of Abraham North (currently unknown) and Jane Clarke (currently unknown) who married 9th December 1735 in Saint Botolph, Bishopsgate, London.
Jane Luke (1779-1855) was my GGGG grandmother and was married to Jacob Prime (1779-1832).
They seem to be prevalent around Royston in Hertfordshire and then London (Hoxton).
Most of my sourcing is via family search.
I have just looked up the family on Ancestry and found 7 entries for their children at Dr Williams Library, a nonconformist Register. Definitely nonconformist !
Trev