George Fox (1624-1691) and the Quakers

George was born and raised in Fenny Drayton, Leicestershire.

At the age of 11 he remembered experiencing the ‘pureness’ of Divine presence.

At the age of 12 he was apprenticed to a local tradesman - a cobbler, then as a partner with a wool and cattle dealer. His integrity brought him commercial success but there was a spiritual rage furiously within. In 1643 he left home to seek the truth.

By 1647 he was already a discerning critic of his culture. He turned to Bible reading and prayer. he began to talk to everyone about his ideas.

In 1649 he was imprisoned for the first time. At his second trial in Derby (1650/1) a judge used the word ‘quaker’ in a sarcastic manner- according to George that’s whenit was first used.

1652 he climbed Pendle Hill in Lancashire where he had a vision of a’ great people to be gathered together’ waiting for him The beginning of the Society of Friends (Quakers) is dated soon afterwards. George preached on Firbank Fell,near Sedbergh, in Cumbria. Some days later he was at Swarthmoor Hall, home of Judge Fell, Margaret Fell and family. Swarthmoor was to become a vital hub for the Society in Margaret’s capable hands.

Many of the new Friends were seekers from various denominations who were disillusioned with state religion. They responded eagerly to his prophetic proclamation of a new Day of the Lord.

George and other Friends travelled all over the country. George went to Cornwall, Wales and Scotland. Judge Fell did a lot to protect them until he died in 1658. Charles11 came to throne in 1660. George was imprisoned for 2 years in 1664/6. He began a journal which he continued to write until his death. On October 27th 1669 he married Margaret.

There were now had Friends in the Caribbean. In 1671 they set sail for Barbados arriving in October. The Barbadian economy was slave based; some Friends were slave owners. George suggested freedom after 30 years service

1677 they went to to Holland and Germany. In the 1680s he spent a great deal of time lobbying Parliament against the persecution of Quakers.

George lived to see the fruits of his labour when the Declaration of Indulgence followed by The Toleration Act of 1689 granted limited freedom to Quakers. The movement gradually took shape as a denomination. Several meeting houses were built before he died in London, on 23rd January 1691.

George believed faithful witness to the Kingdom by word and deed would speed the gathering of the world’s peoples to Christ.

Sources used
Quakers in the World
Great Leaders of the Christian Faith Woodbridge
contribution by Arthur O. Roberts

wikipedia