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An Unsettled Ministry? Some Aspects of Nineteenth-Century British Nonconformity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Kenneth D. Brown
Kenneth D. Brown
Affiliation:
Reader in economic and social history in the Queen'sUniversity of Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
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Extract

As befits its importance in the nineteenth century, British nonconformity has attracted a lot of attention from scholars. Eminent personalities and denominational development or doctrine tend to dominate the earlier writing, while another long-established genre which is still producing fruitful work has been the analysis of the impact of nonconformity in society at large, for example in national or local politics, trade unionism, and education.

Type
Research Article
Information
Church History , Volume 56 , Issue 2 , June 1987 , pp. 204 - 223
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Church History 1987

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References

The research on which this paper is based was financed by grants from the Social Science Research Council (now the Economic and Social Research Council) and the Twenty Seven Foundation.

1. For some excellent recent examples, see Bebbington, David, The Nonconformist, Conscience: Chapel and Politics, 1870–1914 (London, 1982);Google ScholarHempton, David, Methodism and Politics in British Society, 1750–1850 (London, 1984).Google Scholar

2. For example, Binfield, Clyde, So Down to Prayers: Studies in English Nonconformity, 1780–1920 (London, 1977);Google ScholarCurrie, Robert, Gilbert, Alan, and Horsely, Lee, Churches and Church Goers: Patterns of Church Growth in the British Isles since 1700 (Oxford, 1977);Google ScholarGilbert, Alan D., Religion and Society in Industrial England, 1740–1914 (London, 1976);Google ScholarValeize, Deborah, Prophetic Sons and Daughters: Female Preaching and Popular Religion in Industrial England (Princeton, 1986).Google Scholar

3. Figures calculated from Congregational Year Book (1847) and taken from Currie, Gilbert, and Horsely, , Churches, pp. 203–210.Google Scholar

4. Inquirer, 12 December 1874.

5. Spectator, 24 March 1894.

6. Samuel Cowling, “Biographical Dictionary of Baptist Ministers of Great Britain and Ireland Deceased from 1800 to the Close of 1875,” preface. Bound manuscript. Baptist Union Library, London,.

7. Methodist Recorder, 8 August 1873, 24 October 1912.

8. Baptist, 26 June 1874; English Independent, 16 January 1873.

9. There was much argument in Congregational circles about this matter in the last years of the century. The most convincing statistical presentation was made by the secretary of the Congregational Union at the end of 1894. He calculated that there were then about 271 vacant chapels and 258 unemployed ministers. Independent and Nonconformist, 3 January 1895.

10. Calculated from information in Spurgeon's College, Register of Students, 1880–1889. Spurgeon's College Archives, uncatalogued. Spurgeon did not place a major emphasis on his students's academic qualities. He was not willing, he said, to turn away zealous men just because they were poor and had sparse education. See Dallimore, Arnold, Spurgeon (Chicago, 1984), p. 102.Google Scholar For the criticisms of this approach see British Weekly, 26 March 1891.

11. Lancashire Independent College, Register of Students. Northern Congregational College, Manchester.

12. Quoted in Percy Evans, “The Ideal Training for the Ministry,” Baptist Quarterly 3 (1926–1927): 69.

13. Rev. Alliott in Thomas Wilson, 18 January 1828. New College Archives 331/15. Dr. Williams Library, London.

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40. Cited in Evans, David E., As Mad as a Hatter (1982), pp. 144–145.Google Scholar

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42. Cited in Jones, , Congregationalism in England, p. 229.Google Scholar

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47. Quoted in Congregationalist 3 October 1874): 631.

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50. Independent and Nonconformist, 28 March 1891,31 January 1895.

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52. Freeman, 14 July 1871, 1 September 1893.