England Nonconformists Impact - International Institute

The original content for this article was contributed by The International Institute of Genealogical Studies in June 2012. It is an excerpt from their course English: Non-Anglican Church Records  by Dr. Penelope Christensen. The Institute offers over 200 comprehensive genealogy courses for a fee ($).

Non-Anglicans And The Nation

The Industrial Revolution

It is no coincidence that the industrial revolution took place along with the development of Nonconformity. Those attracted to Nonconformity were intelligent middle-class people who were in trades and business.

• They recognized the value of education, yet were excluded from the universities, so they created their own schools and colleges.

• They had much to contribute to the development of society in entrepreneurial and organizational skills, but were excluded from government office. Thus they tended to steer their energies towards business and the emerging technologies and provided the leadership for industrialization, particularly in the emerging textile and iron working trades. Many such as Darby, Newcomen, Watt, Fry, Cadbury, and Crompton, became wealthy and famous doing so, and the majority did better than average. Centres of industrialization tended to rapidly sprout great crops of Nonconformist chapels, one example being the hosiery manufacturing city of Leicester, nicknamed the Metropolis of Heresy.

• They realized the need for social provisions for the poor, the sick and the needy and went and did something about it.

• They led in the creation and running of Sunday Schools from the 1830s and welcomed non-members’ children as well.

• Nonconformist groups were firmly against immorality and most abhorred alcohol, several becoming Temperance Movement leaders. Thus they weren’t wasting their time and money on useless pastimes and their family life benefitted as well.

• They prospered by practicing the virtues of hard work and honest dealing, putting both hypocrites and the lazy to shame. Sober, conscientious Nonconformists were often favoured for responsible positions such as foremen in mills.

• They were in the forefront of all these movements for change and improvement, jolting the moribund institutions of their day into reciprocal action. This new industrial and commercial excellence became a source of national pride and its instigators praised for their ideals.

Buildings

Meeting houses of Nonconformist congregations can be found in most villages and nearly every town and can be located by means of contemporary gazetteers. The oldest surviving building is said to be the thatched meeting house at Horningsham, Wiltshire, provided in 1566 for the Scottish Presbyterian workforce engaged in constructing nearby Longleat House. A few late 17^th century Friends Meeting Houses still exist, but most early survivals belonged to Methodist congregations of the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries. Small simple buildings exist, as well as the typical 18^th century town meeting house which was rectangular, often wider than it was long and with separate doorways for men and women who sat apart. Larger buildings had a gallery and a prominent pulpit so the preacher was audible to all. County histories include details of Non-Anglican meeting houses.

Numbers

Probably about 90% of the nobility and gentry adhered to whichever was the established church of the day, but there was a determined 10% who kept their faith whatever it took. In many areas the middle and lower classes had little choice but to follow their employer or local magnate, as their subsistence depended upon it. In 1800 8-10% of the population were Nonconformist, but by 1861 this had risen to 30-40%. A counterdrive was made by the Church of England at this time and one tends to see large numbers of adult and late child baptisms in parish registers in the 1860s.

Social Reform

Nonconformists had great zeal for reforming social institutions and were influential in this impressive list of 19th century reforms:

• The Reform Act (1832) enfranchising the middle classes.
• New Poor Law (1834).
• Civil Registration (1837).
• Opening of borough cemeteries with unconsecrated ground suitable for Nonconformist burial (1853).
• Civil probate courts (1858).
• State system of elementary education (1870).

All of these changes dealt serious blows to the authority of the Anglican church while they improved the lot of the middle and lower classes. In addition, the nonconformist chapel was a place where adults could learn to read and speak to a crowd, and many trade union leaders, local or even national politicians and social reformers started out in a chapel class. A prime example is William Booth who began in a Methodist class and went on to found the Salvation Army.

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