Who Were The Puritans?

Who were the Puritans? How would a contemporary fairly describe them? Joseph Bentham (1594-1671), a Royalist Anglican writes thus in The Saints Societie (1636), p. 29:

...by puritans, I meane practising Protestants, such men, who daily reade the Scriptures, pray with their families, teach them the way to heaven, eschue lying, swearing, usury, oppression, time-selling, defrauding, and all knowne sinnes: spend the Lords daies holily in hearing Gods Word, prayer, meditation, conference, singing of Psalmes, meditation of the creatures, are mercifull to the poore, diligent in their particular Callings, frame their lives according to Gods will revealed in his Word, &c.