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priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light"; and Titus 2:14 reads "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
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of the Bible, first published in 1611, Deuteronomy 14:2 includes the verse "For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth"; 1 Peter 2:9 reads "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
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In the mid-1850s the
Peculiar People spread deeper into Essex, much of which was agricultural land occupied by a naturally conservative population. The Peculiar People preached a puritanical form of Christianity which proved popular, and numerous chapels sprang up throughout rural Essex. They also
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outbreak in Essex, the sect split between the 'Old
Peculiars', who still rebuffed medicine, and the 'New Peculiars', who somewhat reluctantly condoned it. The split healed in the 1930s, when in general the New Peculiar position prevailed. During the two world wars, some Peculiar People were
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Churches. The movement continues with regular worship at 16 remaining chapels in Essex and London. Some of the traditional distinctive features mentioned have been abandoned, so that UEC churches today are similar to other
Evangelical churches.
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The
Peculiar People practised a lively form of worship and considered themselves bound by the literal interpretation of the King James Bible. They did not seek immediate medical care in cases of sickness, instead relying on
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Although services had previously been discontinued at
Rayleigh, Shoeburyness, and Stanford-le-Hope and the churches temporarily closed, all three are now home to regular worshipping congregations once again.
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as an act of faith. This led to judicial criticism when children died due to lack of treatment. In response to the concern about refusing medical care, which led to some parents being imprisoned after a 1910
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took a lease on an old workhouse at
Rochford which became the first chapel of their new group, which Banyard and Bridges called the Peculiar People, a name taken from Deuteronomy 14:2 and 1 Peter 2:9.
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Banyard was frequently drunk until his wife asked him to attend a service in the local
Wesleyan Methodist chapel. The preacher's message had a profound effect on Banyard, to the extent that he became
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Church membership had peaked in the 1850s with 43 chapels, but it declined until 1956, when the
Peculiar People changed their name to the less conspicuous Union of
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and regularly attended the church. Before long he became a reputable preacher on the
Wesleyan circuit. In 1837 he and
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The UEC maintains its structure as a connection of churches, but is associated with the
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The grave of James
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272:(1874), the Peculiars were described as 'a sect of very ignorant people'.
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Unorthodox London; Or, Phases of Religious Life in the Metropolis
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The Peculiar People is also a phrase used to describe the
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History of the Peculiar Peoples Churches in Eastern Essex
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There is an account of the Peculiars in 19th-century
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308:Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches
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555:Religious organizations established in 1838
403:"A Very Peculiar Preacher - James Banyard"
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
550:Religious organisations based in England
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227:The former Peculiar People's Chapel at
478:"St, Andrew's Church - Essex Churches"
520:Union of Evangelical Churches website
16:Christian movement founded in England
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58:adding citations to reliable sources
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160:denomination, founded in 1838 in
270:Dictionary of Sects and Heresies
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19:For the Rodney Clapp book, see
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294:Union of Evangelical Churches
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317:The 16 UEC churches are in
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464:"Sirgood (Biography)"
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186:Deuteronomy
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504:R v Downes
452:Titus 2:14
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327:Chelmsford
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176:and the
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209:Quakers
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