Communities of Dissent: 1850–1914 edited by Chris Skidmore and Kate Tiller provides five pictures of Nonconformity in nineteenth-century England and Wales. The strength of this volume lies in its close focus on particular communities and individuals. The matter of building and expansion of chapels is an important feature of all the entries in Communities of Dissent. Each narrative is beautifully illustrated with photos and charts. Analysis and visual support combine to convey the determination, optimism, zeal for the Gospel, and close internal community relationships that defined Dissenting communities in the nineteenth century in the midst of hardship, not only reflecting the culture of Great Britain at that time but also efforts to maintain their identity as communities of faith.

“Communities of Dissent 1850–1914: the Heyday of the Chapel?” is by Kate Tiller. This is a striking story of the determination of Dissenting communities to build and grow in the face of industrial and population decline. Indeed, the impression one receives of Nonconformity between 1850 and 1914 is not one of decline but of change, transformation, and an absolute determination to thrive in society, not apart from it. Thus, we see a move from personal piety to fellowship activities, from a focus on other worldliness and the supernatural to integration with the world. Yet, in Professor Tiller’s narrative, it becomes abundantly clear that, for example, the Primitive Methodists were in no way ashamed of their identity – rather, we see them proudly marching forth, gathering, and proclaiming their own history and growth. Included in the chapter are a number of helpful photos such as an image of the Primitive Methodist centenary gathering in 1907 and a centenary plate featuring the denomination’s history and accomplishments. Their strong self-identity seems undeterred by the many challenges faced. Professor Tiller’s chapter also considers the increase in Nonconformist numbers from 1830 to 1850 followed by a decline. One area of particular interest both in this chapter and others is the way that Nonconformist chapels started not necessarily with buildings but with Sunday schools. Once a community was formed, the building commenced. The interesting question of whether the decline in numbers was accompanied by a decline in belief is difficult to answer. What was drawing membership in the first half of the century? Was a focus on the necessity of personal conversion and salvation fading? Was Nonconformity characterized by community and fellowship than by the challenge of the Gospel? The author’s compelling narrative brings these questions to the mind of the reader.

“Building Seion: Building Chapel and Community in North-West Wales” is by Frances Richardson. This chapter conveys the connection between Nonconformist missionary zeal and optimism and the determination to expand their presence despite declines in industry and population that resulted in an overabundance of chapels. The reasons for continuing to build despite a stagnant population are outlined clearly and included zeal to share the gospel, denominational competition, a general atmosphere of optimism, and an organic connection between faith and the rest of life that was strongly reflected in Methodism at that time. This chapter seems to point to an ever-emerging question of how dedication to the Gospel became mixed with increasingly elaborate accommodations. Missionary zeal led to competition for hearers both internally and with the established church as well as a need to provide appealing and modern chapel settings. There was a movement toward providing manses for ministers, and higher education standards in Great Britain affected standards for the Sunday schools that were so central to Nonconformist life. As with the first chapter, specific examples and photos showing chapel growth in Wales make this chapter accessible and engaging. A continually intriguing consideration is to what extent Nonconformity was influenced by the atmosphere of optimism and confidence in nineteenth-century Great Britain. The influence of worldly forces did not always match the chapel setting – but efforts were made to integrate the two.

“Family and Chapel: Religion, Society, and Kinship on Bodmin Moor” by Gary Crossley brings the reader to Bible Christianity on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. This is a powerful tale of kinship and family as it focuses on an analysis of family reconstitution and total reconstitution to show why Methodism and especially Bible Christian Methodism grew in the area. Charts show the strength of kinship networks in Cornwall and why this area was open to Methodism and Bible Christianity in particular. This is a story of personal relationships, perseverance, and survival in the face of severe economic decline and hardship, particularly as related to the mining industry. Some examples of the ways that Bible Christianity stayed strong include the provision of a welcoming environment for migrant miners (miners who moved frequently found a welcome in Methodist societies) and the provision of settings for young men and women to meet each other and marry. Of exceptional value in this chapter are charts showing the strength of kinship networks, the continuity of families for generations, as well as excerpts from letters and obituaries that tell real stories of families. As was a strong feature of Methodism, preachers did not come from outside the community but were chosen from within so that they shared the same life and work as the congregation. The collapse of copper mining and tin in the 1860s followed by agricultural changes resulted in population decline. However, although they fluctuated, chapel attendance and kinship remained relatively high. Revivals helped and seemed especially suited to Cornwall. Even conflict with the Anglican Church and other denominations resulted in growth. That same spirit of competition and optimism permeated Bible Christianity.

The next section of the book is “Communities of Dissent: The Family and Community History Research Society (FACHRS) Project.” The volume considered in this review features certain Dissenting communities, but the FACHRS Project includes many more, all of which are clearly abstracted here by Frances Richardson. Diana Rowland then follows with a close look at two communities in “Communities of Dissent: A Profile of Woolwich and Plumstead 1850–1939,” which is illustrated with a wealth of charts and graphs followed by a list of resources including newspapers, denominational histories, archival sources, contemporary sources, and photos. This is not only a detailed study of the chapels in these communities in terms of existence and attendance but focuses on what it took to build and expand chapels including the acquisition of land, the process of designing and building, the raising of funds, and renovations.

The final offering in Communities of Dissent is “Earnest Spirituality, A Winning Presence, a Curiously Fascinating Personality: the Life and Work of Reverend Gertrude von Petzold, “an overview by Cynthia Brown of the life of Gertrude von Petzold, a German Unitarian minister and the first female minister in Great Britain. (This should be distinguished from Wesleyan Methodist and Primitive Methodist women who were authorized to preach as early as the eighteenth century.) This chapter provides a glimpse into another community of Dissent – the Unitarians in Leicester – and in a city that still has a strong Unitarian presence today. The reader is struck by the positive reception Reverend von Petzold had from her Leicester congregation. The question “why her” as the first woman minister is abundantly answered. The descriptions of Gertrude von Petzold are compelling – highly educated (MA University of Edinburgh, training for the ministry at Manchester College, Oxford, MA University of Birmingham, PhD University of Tübingen), a scholar, in tune with the culture of the time across several countries, beautiful, truthful, courageous, and sensitive. Perhaps, some of Reverend von Petzold’s greatest courage came in the realm of politics – specifically in the areas of pacifism and women’s suffrage. But the question “why at all” (why did the Unitarians appoint a woman to the Narborough Road Free Christian Church in Leicester) is thought-provoking. From an early age, Gertrude von Petzold was drawn to the study of theology and the pastorate when she began questioning whether the Bible was literal. She would have been drawn to Unitarianism due to its reputation as free thinking but also because of its association with what were regarded as liberal causes. The chapter provides a concise overview of her life. It is striking to note that Reverend von Petzold had significant success in pastorates in the UK, the US, and Germany. Tragically, at the start of World War I, she was denied British residency and sent back to Germany, unable to return even after the end of the war.

Communities of Dissent provides five rich and beautifully illustrated scenes of Nonconformity in nineteenth-century Great Britain. The optimism and determination that characterized the place and time are apparent but are inseparable from the motivation of faith and the fellowship of believers.