During the 18th and 19th centuries, religion was a powerful force in society. Discovering the religious sentiments of your ancestors can leverage your research. In 1801, 120 of the estimated 300 households in Essex with the Wood surname were nonconformists, which means their baptisms, and even marriages, might not be found in Anglican records.
In March 1851, a Census of Religious Worship was conducted concurrently with the ordinary national Census of population. The census shows that in Essex there were 746 places of worship of which 429 were Church of England, 9 Roman Catholic and 312 Nonconformist.
The numbers in attendance of all ages were 154,823 Church of England, 2,245 Roman Catholic and 110,115 Nonconformist. In rough numbers, 70% of Essex in 1851 attended church weekly, and of those who attended church 40% were nonconformist.
The drawing is the Congregational Church of Southend, which was published by J.T. Wood of the Strand c.1865. He had a printing and engraving business. According to Laurence Worms of ASh Rare Books, J.T. Wood printed cards of sites around London as memory or "converation cards" (see J.T. Wood of the Strand, Worms, Laurence, The Book Hunter on Safari blog, 30 July 2013). J.T. married Sarah Edgington of St Pancras on 7th April 1833. He was best know for his "perforated lace paper and cards" and valentine cards. His estate was worth just under £14,000 when he died in 1879.
Methodism became a force in England in the 19th century, which reduces its value as a research strategy to identify the Wood families of Essex before 1800. In the 18th century, “Methodism emerged, initially as an evangelical movement inside the Church of England, and with John Wesley and George Whitefield as its most famous leaders…In the 19th century, Methodist congregations grew in industrial districts and among the rural poor” (Nonconformist Place of Worship, Wakeling, Christopher, Edited by Paul Stamper, Historic England, August 2016).
Wesley and Whitefield visited the American Colonies and helped shape their religious debate after the War of Independence. Methodism was not formally organized as a church until after the death of John Wesley in 1791 Colchester.
The picture is the interior of Old Chapel of Dunkinfield (Greater Manchester), which was built c. 1840. Pulpits and galleries are important elements of Nonconformist Architecture.(nonconfomist Places of Worship, Wakeling, Chirstopher. Edited by Paul Stamper, Historic England, August 2016).
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