Geographical distribution

Elsewhere we have given Thomas Coleman's list. David Appleby comments that "religious dissent was everywhere in evidence". He notes that Richard Greaves found Presbyterians to be strongly represented in Northumberland, Lancashire, Cheshire, Devon, Somerset (esp Bristol) and Carmarthen (South West Wales), while Congregationalists proliferated in south and central Wales, the Midlands, Essex, Suffolk and Lancashire. A G Matthews' thought that the concentration of nonconformist ministers was highest in the west country, followed by Essex, Suffolk and Lancashire, with a fairly even distribution elsewhere. This West Country predominance is noticeable in the printed literature (London also, unsurprisingly, dominates). The phenomenon was found in every county facilitated by various efficient networks.