Map of Dissenting Congregations 1715-1729

John Evans between 1715 and 1729 complied a list of Dissenting Congregations in England and Wales.  A Photographic reproduction of the manuscript is held in the Dr. Williams’s Library.  John Evans (1628-1700) was the son of a Presbyterian Minister.  Both John and his father held pulpits in Wrexham, which is both a city and county in Wales. He was known for the contradiction of his orthodox beliefs but tolerance in matter of doctrine.

In his famous list, Evans accounts for the locations of dissenting congregations, the names of preachers, and the number of hearers.  The list is a draft, not a finished document.

In the case of Essex, Evans reports 44 locations with a total of 13,866 congregants.  Mapping the locations shows islands bridging to  contiguous parishes.

As Evans was a man of Wales, Scotland, and Yorkshire,  his list of dissenters in Essex was gathered with the help of others, and likely underestimates the population of nonconformists in Essex. His notes for Essex have many gaps.  And yet, his list is an important 1720-ish snapshot of dissention following the Act of Toleration in 1689.  Although modern research shows that his list of locations is not exhaustive, it anchors the important centers of nonconformity.