In
1643 George Fox, a shoemaker from Fenny
Drayton, Leicestershire,
began toured the country giving sermons where he argued that consecrated
buildings and ordained ministers were irrelevant to the individual
seeking God. Three years later Fox had a divine revelation
that inspired him to preach a gospel of brotherly love.
Fox formed a group called the Friends of Truth. Later they became
known as the Society of Friends. Fox's central dogma was that of the
inner light, communicated directly to the individual soul by Christ.
After 1656 followers of Fox refused to attend Anglican
services or pay tithes. This resulted in
George Fox being arrested.
According to Fox's journal, Justice Bennet of Derby "was the
first that called us Quakers, because I bade them tremble at the word
of the Lord". Eventually members of the Society of Friends became
known as Quakers.
During the reign of Charles
II,
13,562 were arrested and imprisoned in England and 198 were transported
as slaves, and 338 died in prison or of wounds received in violent
assaults on their meetings. The Society of Friends continued to grow
and by 1660 Fox had made more than 20,000 converts and missionaries
were at work in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the American colonies.
After considerable debate, the Society of Friends
evolved a form of organization with regular monthly, quarterly, and
annual meetings. They selected elders, to watch over the ministry,
and overseers to make provision for the poor and secure the education
of the children. They wore plain clothes stripped of all ornament.
Powdered hair or ruffles on the shirt were considered to be signs
of vanity. Women were expected to wear sober clothes without frills
or feathers. Worldly pleasures, such as the theatre, dancing, music,
singing and cards were strictly forbidden.
Quakers regarded all humans equal before God and addressed everyone
as "thou" and refused to refer to peoples' ranks and titles.
Quakers also upset people by not showing respect by "doffing
the hat". This made it difficult for Quakers to make friends
with neighbours as they were unwilling to follow the traditional custom
of taking off their hats when they entered a house.
The persecution of Quakers continued throughout the 17th century and
many decided to emigrate in order to obtain religious freedom. In
1681 William Penn founded the American Quaker
Colony of Pennsylvania. Two years later, Francis
Daniel Pastorius from Germany, established Quaker settlement in
America called Germantown. Both Penn and Pastorius campaigned against
slavery in America.
In the 18th century the Quakers gradually abandoned some of their
ideas such as disowning those who married non-Quakers and compulsory
codes of speech. They also became involved in politics and social
reform. The Society of Friends became the first religious group to
denounce slavery and would not permit any of their members to own
slaves.
In 1783 the Quakers presented the first substantial anti-slavery petition
to Parliament and played a prominent role in the Anti-Slavery
Society. Others like Elizabeth Fry joined
prison reform movement whereas Joseph Lancaster
worked for an improvement in education. Quakers also established the
Peace Society that campaigned for an end
to war and were also active in famine relief organizations.
By the beginning of the 19th century there were about 25,000 Quakers
in Britain. Quakers had a reputation as successful entrepreneurs.
A group of Quakers under the leadership of Edward
Pease helped establish the Stockton &
Darlington Railway in 1825. Companies established by Quakers during
the 19th century included Cadbury, Fry, Rowntree, Huntley & Palmer,
Bryant & May, Barclays and Lloyds.
In the religious census of 1851 there were 3,153,490 Protestant
Nonconformists. This included 18,172 members of the Society of
Friends.
Rudolf
Ackermann, Quakers Meeting House, from Microcosm of London
(1808)
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