The Protestant dissenting deputies (also known as the Deputies of the Three Denominations of Dissenters) were a group in the 18th and 19th centuries in England, consisting of two representatives from each congregation of the dissenting denominations within ten miles of London. The 'three denominations' were
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
,
Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
and
Baptist
Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
. The first formal meeting was in 1736 in
Salters' Hall
The Worshipful Company of Salters is one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, ranking 9th in order of precedence.
An ancient merchant guild associated with the salt trade, the Salters' Company originated in London as the Guild of Corp ...
when
Benjamin Avery
Benjamin Avery, LL.D. (died 1764) was an English physician.
Life
Avery was originally a Presbyterian minister at Bartholomew Close, London, but quit the ministry in 1720, in consequence of the Salters' Hall controversy on subscription, 1719. H ...
was elected chairman.
Their main aim was protecting the civil rights of
Dissenters
A dissenter (from the Latin , 'to disagree') is one who dissents (disagrees) in matters of opinion, belief, etc. Dissent may include political opposition to decrees, ideas or doctrines and it may include opposition to those things or the fiat of ...
(i.e. fighting against the several statutes passed after the Restoration that imposed civil and religious disabilities on non-
Anglicans
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
).
They found support in the
Whig party. They had a selected committee of twenty-one who met regularly at the King's Head Tavern on
Poultry, London
Poultry (formerly also Poultrey) is a short street in the City of London, which is the historic nucleus and modern financial centre of London. It is an eastern continuation of Cheapside, between Old Jewry and Mansion House Street, towards Bank ...
. The group, though technically representative of the London congregations, was, ''de facto'', the representatives for dissenting bodies across the nation. They presented addresses to the Crown on behalf of all dissenters. They tended to support private influence over more public forms of protest.
Their support was a leading cause for the
repeal
A repeal (O.F. ''rapel'', modern ''rappel'', from ''rapeler'', ''rappeler'', revoke, ''re'' and ''appeler'', appeal) is the removal or reversal of a law. There are two basic types of repeal; a repeal with a re-enactment is used to replace the law ...
of the
Test and Corporation Acts
The Test Acts were a series of penal laws originating in Restoration England, passed by the Parliament of England, that served as a religious test for public office and imposed various civil disabilities on Catholics and nonconformist Protes ...
in 1828.
Protestantism in England
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