Peculiar People

The Peculiar People are an offshoot of the Wesleyan denomination. Founded in 1838 in Rochford, England by John Banyard, a farm worker's son born in 1800. They derive their name from an alternate translation of the phrase "Chosen people" taken from the book of Deuteronomy.

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 an effect on Banyard so that he become teetotal and regularly attended the church. Before long he became a reputable preacher on the Wesleyan circuit. In 1837 he and William Bridges took a lease on an old workhouse at Rochford which became the first chapel of new group which Banyard and Bridges called the Peculiar People, a name taken from Deuteronomy 14:2 and 1 Peter 2:9.

In the mid 1850s they spread 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.

There is a fascinating account in 'Unorthodox London' by Davis of the journalist's search for the Peculiars in Plumstead.

Church membership peaked in the 1850s but declined until 1956 when the Peculiar People merged with other groups to form the Union of Evangelical Churches. The movement continues with regular worship at 19 chapels that remain in Essex. The Peculiar People practice a puritanical form of worship, considering themselves bound by the literal interpretation of the King James Bible. They do not seek medical care in cases of sickness instead relying on prayer as an act of faith. This has led to judicial criticism when children have died due to lack of treatment.