Rough Times
Over the years, Friends have suffered greatly in obedience to these testimonies. From 1650, when Quakerism first developed, until the Toleration Act of 1689, Quakers were persecuted for their faith.
Animosity arose from the refusal of Quakers to pay tithes, swear oaths, doff their hats in deference, attend the national church or bear arms. Quakers were hauled out of their beds and their meetings. Informers ‘shopped’ them to the authorities. Their goods and cattle were seized. Some died in prison. |
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Scene from George Fox’s Journal of an assault on him with a Bible.
" So I went up to them and began to speak: they fell upon mee: and ye Clarke uppe with his Bible, and hitt mee in ye face and my face gushed out with bloode; and I bleede exceedingly in ye steeple-house. And soe ye people cryed ‘Letts have him out of ye church’ (as they called it.) And when they had mee out, they beate mee exceedingly; and threw me doune and threw mee over a hedge, and after dragge mee into ye street, stoneinge and beating mee; they gott my hatt from mee which I never gott again and
I was all over besmeared with bloode and dirt. "
George Fox’s Journal, 1652
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When Quakerism first came to the north-east of England in the 1650s, its converts in the town of Newcastle upon Tyne found neither welcome nor acceptance. Local attempts to hold meetings for worship in the town were thwarted. Quakers were escorted down to the bridge over the Tyne, to the ‘blew stone’ which marked the limit of the town’s authority, and into Gateshead where anti-Quaker feeling was weaker. |
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A scene from Pepys’ Diary Vol.4. Persecutions of Quakers under the Conventicle Act of 1664
" Met several poor creatures carried by constables for being at a conventicle. They go like lambs without resistance. I would to God they would either conform or be more wise, and
not be catched. "
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" Dear Friends, as touching the manner of our Sufferings at this place; here are ninety and odd in prison, very near an Hundred, most committed for refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance, some being taken out of their meetings, and some at their Houses and from their Employments, and for refusing to Swear committed to prison. We met with a very avaricious inhuman Gaoler, who, because we could not agree to his unreasonable Demands in paying 2s.6d. per week every Man for our Beds, threw twenty of us into a stinking Dungeon, where we could not all lie down at once; and put thirteen of us into another, where we remained five Days; but the High Sheriff understanding it, manifested a large measure of Christian Compassion towards us and caused us to be removed to the House
of Correction, where we have had moderate Usage.” "
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Letter from a Quaker prisoner in Durham jail,
dated 19th December, 1660. |
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Fox in the stocks at Mansfield Woodhouse.
" Then they haled me out (though I was hardly able to stand) and put me in the stocks where I sate some hours. "
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George Fox surveys London after the Great Fire of 1666.
" I came at last to London, weak with three years of cruel and hard imprisonments; and my joints so stiff and benumbed, that I could hardly get on my horse, or bend
my joints, nor bear to be near the fire, or to eat warm meat. Being come to London I walked a little among the ruins and I saw the City lying according as the word of the Lord came to me concerning it, several years before. "
George Fox’s Journal, 1666
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Note on the artist – a local Tyneside man:
Robert Spence (1871 – 1964)
Robert Spence was born in Tynemouth. His father was a great collector of Quaker material and to him we owe the Spence Collection of manuscripts which includes the manuscript of George Fox’s Journal and other work by early Friends.
As an artist Robert Spence was best known for his dry-point etchings, but he also painted in oils and made models of historic ships.
At about the time of the First World War Robert Spence resigned from membership of the Society of Friends, but after a period of estrangement he drew closer to Friends again. He never formally returned to membership but he retained close ties and worked on several projects for the Society.
The collection consists of 99 prints from etchings. They were created between 1892 and 1954 and printed in editions of 50 or less. Most of them show scenes described in George Fox’s Journal. There are also a few etchings which relate to early Quakerism from other sources, e.g. Samuel Pepys’ diary.
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Thanks to Friends House Library and Spence family for permission to reproduce the etchings.
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