[1] His father, Robert Banyard (1776 - 1815), worked at Rochford Hall as a ploughman; James also became an agricultural labourer but spent most of his free time carousing in local pubs.

Described as "an ugly man" with a loud booming voice, James was charismatic and became a popular local figure thanks to a talent for conjuring tricks, mimicry and topical rhyme.

Between the years 1837 and 1839 the teetotaller Aitken was in London preaching "in the open air" in Lambeth and at Whites Row Chapel in Spitalfields.

It was in Spitalfields that a Methodist local preacher and hat block maker from Southwark William Bridges, heard Aitken evangelize on the text Enoch walked with God.

[4][5][6] That same year Bridges visited one of his sisters in Rochford and struck up a friendship with Banyard, swapping ideas and discussing "religious topics".

As the congregation grew Banyard and Bridges took over the lease of an old workhouse building known as The Barracks in Rochford circa 1838 and set up their own chapel at Union Lane (near the Marlborough Head Inn).

[9][10] Shortly after the chapel opened a man called William Perry from Southend arrived at The Barracks "helped by two other men".

At first Banyard was apparently reluctant to indulge in Divine healing saying "it is not for me to dampen your faith, brother"; but eventually "they got on their knees and prayed".

They help explain the phenomenal growth of the movement which 'spread like wildfire" and established chapels in Essex, Kent, and East London.

The Banyardites are said to have helped bring order to Daws Heath, an area so notorious that J W. Burrows described it as "a hotbed of lawlessness".

The sect adopted a dress code for worship: a dark suit and bowler hat for men, and black capes and bonnets for the women.

Susan Banyard had died childless aged 42 in 1844; James remarried in 1845 to the widow Judith Knapping (nee Lucking) (1823 - 1877), and together they had seven children.

[12] Banyard's decision to seek medical aid for his son, saw him reduced in stature in his own movement for the final eight years of his life.