Though small in area, the old county of Westmorland was home to numerous nonconformist groups. In this comprehensive account of these movements, reference is made to Quaker origins; to the older Dissent, both Independent and Presbyterian (and thence Unitarian); to the Inghamites and the Sandemanians: to the visits to the county of Fox, Nayler, Ingham, Whitefield, Wesley, and Woolman; to the coming of the Baptists; and to such later developments as Primitive and United Methodism, the Evangelical Union, the Brethren, and the Pentecostals.

Robert Harrison and Robert Browne were the initiators of the principles of English Separatism and Congregationalism. Unlike the Presbytero-Puritans, these nonconformists sought to establish local churches that were independent of the state. Although they encountered fierce opposition from the clergy, state officials and Anglican bishops, they persisted in their practices. As a result, the ideas of these two men profoundly influenced the Puritan movement both of England and America. In this volume, scarce and little known works, as well as new material derived from manuscripts and tracts are collected into one volume.