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| '''Nonconformist''' is a term referring to religious denominations other than an established or state church. | | '''Nonconformist''' is a term referring to religious denominations other than an established or state church. |
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| | For detailed histories of each of the major non-conformist denominations, see [[England Church History]] |
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| ==Introduction== | | ==Introduction== |
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| ==The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon, LDS)== | | ==The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon, LDS)== |
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| ===History and Beliefs===
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| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a restorative Christian-based religion founded by its Prophet of the early 19th-Century, Joseph Smith, Jr. His claims include a personal visitation by both God The Father and His Son, Jesus Christ in the spring of 1820, and subsequent angelic visitations with instructions which led directly to the discovery of a set or book of (metal) plates which contains ancient "Reformed Egyptian" handwriting. Its writings were from inspired prophets raised up in ancient America, similar to and coinciding with the Biblical prophets over in ancient Israel. As instructed, he translated these ancient scriptural writings into a book, called the Book of Mormon. The prophets of this book also testify of Christ and knew his name many hundreds of years before His advent and serves as "another witness" to the divinity and love of Christ, along with other canonized scriptures. The Church was organized in and commences from 6 April 1830 at Palmyra, in upper New York State, United States.
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| Tenets include, among many others: the belief in the immortality of each individual and in the eternal continuity of the families, Sabbath day worship, belief in an eternal Father in Heaven Whose concerns and interests are centered in the details of each individuals' life; a firm belief in the grace and divinity in the infinite Atonement wrought by The Lord, Jesus Christ and in His soon return to earth in a "glorious Second coming" mentioning events leading up to it; a surety that God is no respecter of persons Who works the same today as in ancient times--in that His--Christ's ancient Church and it's covenants have been restored and setup with the same foundations as His ancient one--to include a living prophet, a quorum of Twelve Apostles, the restoration of the ancient Priesthood authority, the building of "houses of the Lord", called temples, and that each soul--known or unbeknownst to themselves--is on a progressive journey which promises, through consistent patterns in good choices and decision-making while here in mortality, to steer each (soul) on a sure course that leads to Eternal joy, or life with God The Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
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| The Prophet Joseph Smith, and the early converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States faced severe opposition and subsequent persecution. In the midst of this oppressive early period, Smith sent missionaries to various parts of the world including first to Canada, secondly to the British Isles, and later, to Scandinavia, Europe and other places. It was within the same month as the commencement of England's Civil Registration of births, marriages and deaths, that the first missionaries landed on England's soil. They first appeared in the Preston, ("Priest-town' as it was anciently called), Lancashire region and met considerable success, these missionaries journeyed throughout the realm from there. Thousands flocked to its ranks. About 14 years later, by the time the 1851 Religious Census was taken, there were just over 50,000 "sittings" in approximately 250 different congregations spread throughout the countries of England and Wales. Many of these awaited emigration to "Zion", which was located high in the Rocky Mountain's Great Basin (Utah Territory), in the Western United States. By the time of the 1860 U.S. Federal census, nearly 1 person in 4 that walked the valleys of Utah, spoke in the England/Welsh/Scottish baroque, due to the many converts who had arrived from Great Britain. Charles Dickens, who was commissioned to personally inspect and observe one of the docked 'Mormon emigrant' ships, ''The Amazon'', [https://saintsbysea.lib.byu.edu/mii/account/29 '''wrote some views about his experience'''] with a large group (891) of Latter-day Saints about to embark for "Zion".
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| The Church's doctrinal views on the Eternal nature and continuity of each individual and the family, resonated well with many among England's mostly working class. Nothing demonstrates this more since Smith's day, than in its practices of dedicating time, means and other resources towards 1) the building of meetinghouses, and temples and sending missionaries abroad. Then and now, in the temples, devoted members learn about the purpose of life here in mortality, God's interest and Influence in one's eternal progression while here and beyond the grave, the origin and eternal nature of each soul, and a belief that the "restoration" of God's (priesthood) authority which are tied to sacred ordinances may both seal on earth and become binding in heaven--through the eternities--couples to each other, and each family member to eternal parentage, such that all may partake of the divine heavenly gifts. The Prophet Joseph taught that God's richest blessings for each one of His children--and members' ancestors who may have never had the opportunity to receive the fullness of the Gospel and its accompanying saving ordinances--by proxy--can be performed in their temples by their descendant families. Therefore, today the Church allocates numerous resources and man-power 2) to facilitate the construction and operation of their temples.
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| By the liberal use of the above "resources", the Church has been and currently is a major player and contributor to the world's genealogical community, by sharing its vast genealogical treasures. Because of its mission, the Church has built the world's largest family history library--and opened all of its genealogical records and resources--free to the world. Family history enthusiasts and genealogists worldwide have used and will continue to freely be allowed to use these records and resources to further their own family historical pursuits. [FamilySearch.org encourages all who have begun a family tree, to share it by uploading it to [https://www.familysearch.org/ FamilySearch.org]' Family Tree. If desired, one can still share a family tree and in a [https://www.familysearch.org/mytrees/ '''way that your data cannot be changed by outside individuals''']. You can visit the Family History Library, at 35 North, West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT, or, visit its website online to search for your ancestors at: [[Https:familysearch.org/search|FamilySearch.org]] (both are free).
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| ===Counties=== | | ===Counties=== |
| Here is a list of the top 10 England counties with the most congregations, from July 16, 1837 to ~1870: | | Here is a list of the top 10 England counties with the most congregations, from July 16, 1837 to ~1870: |
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| The French-speaking Protestants who fled from religious persecution and civil war on the continent are all loosely referred to as Huguenots, however this term properly refers to only those from France, and not to the ''Walloons'' from the Low Countries. However, it is often impossible to distinguish the two groups because of the shared language and churches as well as much intermarriage in the early communities in England. Their beliefs were Calvinistic and closest to the English Presbyterian style of church government. Some of the late 17th century Huguenot congregations adopted the Anglican litany translated into French and these were termed ''conformist Huguenots''. Others maintained the Calvinistic style they had used in France and have been called ''nonconformist Huguenots'', although they should be distinguished from the English Nonconformists. | | The French-speaking Protestants who fled from religious persecution and civil war on the continent are all loosely referred to as Huguenots, however this term properly refers to only those from France, and not to the ''Walloons'' from the Low Countries. However, it is often impossible to distinguish the two groups because of the shared language and churches as well as much intermarriage in the early communities in England. Their beliefs were Calvinistic and closest to the English Presbyterian style of church government. Some of the late 17th century Huguenot congregations adopted the Anglican litany translated into French and these were termed ''conformist Huguenots''. Others maintained the Calvinistic style they had used in France and have been called ''nonconformist Huguenots'', although they should be distinguished from the English Nonconformists. |
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| ====Walloons====
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| The first wave of many thousands of French-speaking Protestants were Walloon refugees who arrived in England from the Spanish Netherlands (now Belgium and the Netherlands) in 1567, having been forced to flee the suppression of Protestantism by King Philip of Spain’s forces lead by the Duke of Alva. This group had been in England for over a century before the true Huguenots came and the two groups settled in London and the same south-eastern towns.
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| ====Huguenots====
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| The Huguenots, (Protestants from France), first came in 1572 after the Massacre of St. Bartholomew in Paris, and they were largely from the northern provinces of Brittany, Normandy and Picardy and mostly settled in south-eastern areas of England where the French-speaking Walloon communities had already been established. Although there was support for their religious freedom during the reigns of Elizabeth and James I, during that of Charles I and particularly during Archbishop Laud’s tenure prior to the Civil War only those born abroad and now living in Canterbury were officially allowed to practise their religion, whilst their children were to attend Anglican services. In response, some moved to Holland, and the majority to the USA, taking their craft skills with them. Far more Huguenots arrived after 1685 when Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes which had given toleration to French Protestants in 1598. About 60,000 came at this time, with two-thirds of these settling in London. Most of the others went to towns in SE England and some to Bristol, Plymouth and nearby Stonehouse in the south west. <br> <br>The history of the Huguenots throughout the English-speaking world can be found in Currer-Briggs and Gambier (''Huguenot Ancestry''. Phillimore, 1985). The Huguenots were not of any particular social level. They comprised mainly craftsmen with some nobility and some peasants. In London the upper class families and those who worked in the luxury trades such as goldsmiths, silversmiths, lapidaries, diamond cutters, jewellers, bucklemakers, clock- and watch-makers settled in London’s west end around Soho and nearby Westminster parishes. The poorer weavers, and associated tradesmen such as silk throwsters, dyers, thread- and lace makers settled in the east end in Spitalfields and Bethnal Green.
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| The communities were close-knit and some maintained the French language into the 19th century. Sociological studies show that it takes three generations for immigrants to totally assimilate, and most families had joined the Anglican Church or other Nonconformist groups by at least 1800.
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| It must also be born in mind that there was a further wave of French refugees, known as the ''emigrés'', mainly upper class and Catholic, entering England from 1789-1814 at and after the French Revolution (circa 1789-1795). Lists of the groups of these that came, but with no union index of names, are on {{FHL|257024|item|disp=FHL fiche 6035980(1)}}. The Hampshire Record Office have recently acquired a series of their letters giving graphic details of their escape and struggles.
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| ====Flemish====
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| The Protestant immigrants from Flanders and Brabant spoke Flemish, a Dutch dialect, and can thus easily be confused with Dutch settlers. Edward III (1327-1377) encouraged the Flemish to settle in England, as he valued their silk and other textile skills. Other waves came in 1551 and 1567 fleeing the occupying Catholic Spaniards, as did the Walloons.
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| They settled primarily in south eastern England, particularly in London, Norwich and Canterbury and were employed especially in silk weaving, the New Draperies and market gardening. In the 17th century more Flemish immigrants arrived with the Dutch to drain the fens of East Anglia (Beharrell).<ref>Christensen, Penelope. "England History of Huguenots, Walloons, Flemish Religions (National Institute)," ''The National Institute for Genealogical Studies'' (2012), https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/England_History_of_Huguenots,_Walloons,_Flemish_Religions_%28National_Institute%29.</ref>
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| ===Huguenot, Walloon and Flemish Records=== | | ===Huguenot, Walloon and Flemish Records=== |
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| ====History and Beliefs==== | | ====History and Beliefs==== |
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| The ''Religious Society of Friends'' (colloquially ''Friends'' or ''Quakers'') was an extreme puritanical group founded by George Fox in 1647 and had its chief strength in north west England. [Note this date, all those who mistakenly believe that the ''Mayflower '' was loaded with Quakers in 1620!) The group did not believe in formal services, buildings or paid ministers and thus did not pay tithes to support them, hence their particular antipathy towards the imposition of tithes on every inhabitant for the benefit of the Anglican Church. Quakers were upright citizens believing that all were equal, that God’s word was given to each one individually, and opposed violence including armed service. The Bible was viewed as interesting but certainly not binding. These views frequently brought them in conflict with the law and they were much persecuted until William III’s Act of Toleration in 1689. Starting in 1682, William Penn lead 23,000 Quakers to North America where they established the colony of Pennsylvania. This severely depleted Quaker strength in England and numbers were down to 40,000 by 1700 and declined drastically by the mid-18th century, aided by their forbidding of marriage to outsiders and to first cousins. Some joined other Protestant groups, and others, who perhaps had gained more prominence in society, felt that the Anglican church was a better choice. They have remained a small and separate group ever since, but have been extremely influential in social reform. Nowadays there are about 18,000 Quakers in Britain. | | The ''Religious Society of Friends'' (colloquially ''Friends'' or ''Quakers'') is a puritanical group founded by George Fox in 1647 and had its chief strength in north west England. |
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| The Friends set up numerous meeting houses (they did not favour fancy church buildings, calling them ''steeplehouses''), as well as Quaker schools. In 1694 there were 151 district groups called ''Monthly Meetings'' and the local community units called ''Preparative'' or ''Particular'' Meetings drew up material for them to discuss. Men and women would often meet separately and divide up the work. Representatives were elected to the county ''Quarterly Meetings'' which, in turn, sent representatives to the Yearly Meeting held in London. Their superb organization allowed them to organize philanthropic work and exert a considerable influence in public affairs. There is a great amount of historical literature on the Society of Friends; a keyword search on the FamilySearch Catalog for ENGLAND + QUAKER brings up well over 800 references. As an example, Rickard’s small book on ''Quakers in Kent'' gives a concise history as well as lists of births, marriages and burials from different Monthly Meetings, extracts of wills, burial ground deeds and subscription list, and a Quaker Affirmation Roll. Bartlett has a two-part article on Quaker records, and a major section on west country Quakers appeared in the Greenwood Tree (Anonymous).<ref>Christensen, Penelope. "England Quaker History (National Institute)," ''The National Institute for Genealogical Studies'' (2012), https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/England_Quaker_History_%28National_Institute%29.</ref> | | The Friends set up numerous meeting houses (they did not favour fancy church buildings, calling them ''steeplehouses''), as well as Quaker schools. In 1694 there were 151 district groups called ''Monthly Meetings'' and the local community units called ''Preparative'' or ''Particular'' Meetings drew up material for them to discuss. Men and women would often meet separately and divide up the work. Representatives were elected to the county ''Quarterly Meetings'' which, in turn, sent representatives to the Yearly Meeting held in London. Their superb organization allowed them to organize philanthropic work and exert a considerable influence in public affairs. There is a great amount of historical literature on the Society of Friends; a keyword search on the FamilySearch Catalog for ENGLAND + QUAKER brings up well over 800 references. As an example, Rickard’s small book on ''Quakers in Kent'' gives a concise history as well as lists of births, marriages and burials from different Monthly Meetings, extracts of wills, burial ground deeds and subscription list, and a Quaker Affirmation Roll. Bartlett has a two-part article on Quaker records, and a major section on west country Quakers appeared in the Greenwood Tree (Anonymous).<ref>Christensen, Penelope. "England Quaker History (National Institute)," ''The National Institute for Genealogical Studies'' (2012), https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/England_Quaker_History_%28National_Institute%29.</ref> |