I 
 
 FRIENDS 
 
 IN 
 
 WARWICKSHIRE 
 
Division \oA"7Gn 
 Section 3\a) 5 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2015 
 
 https://archive.org/details/friendsinwarwickOOwhit_0 
 
FRIENDS IN WARWICKSHIRE. 
 
FRIENDS 
 IN WARWICKSHIRE, 
 
 in the 17th itnli ISth Centuries. 
 By WILLIAM WHITE. 
 
 BIRMINGHAM : 
 PUBLISHED BY WHITE AND PIKE, 
 1873- 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 George Fox's birthplace intimately connected with War- 
 wickshire. — His youth and employments. — Visits 
 Atherstone, Tamworth, and Coventry. — His distress 
 of mind — followed by peace and joy. — George Fox's 
 simple and scriptural views of Di\'ine truth. — Friends 
 first called "Quakers" at Derby, in 165c. — George 
 Fox visits Friends in Wanvick Gaol. — Priests at 
 Nuneaton. — Meeting at Birmingham. — Bailiff's per- 
 secution at Warwick. — Drunken Professor. — Rude 
 mob at Dunchurch. — William Edmundson. — Suffer- 
 ings of Friends in i6b6. — Warwick Gaol and its 
 many prisoners for conscience sake. — George Fox 
 visits them. — Termination of George Fox's labours in 
 Warwickshire 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Earliest Monthly Meetings in Warwickshire.— Cruel 
 treatment of prisoners. — Letters from prisoners to 
 George Fox. — Filthy prisons. — William Dewsbury. — 
 His long imprisonment.- — Charity of Friends to prison- 
 ers and those in distress 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Society on its trial at the commencement of the 
 eighteenth century. — Meetings for discipline and num- 
 ber of members. — No formal admissions into member- 
 ship. — Many travelling ministers. — A judging spirit. — 
 
Contents. 
 
 John Love's labours.— Incident at Warwick and Cov- 
 entry. —Circular Meetings. — Convincements. — Meet- 
 ing at Balsall Street. — Appointment of Elders and 
 Overseers. — Exercise of the discipline on offenders. — 
 Care for younger Friends. — Meetings for them at 
 Coventry and Warwick... .. ... ... ... 40 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Quarterly and Monthly Meeting Minutes. — Social Char- 
 acter of the Meetings for discipline.— Children Ap- 
 prenticed. — Representatives to the Yearly Meeting. — 
 Ministers' Meetings. — Answers to Queries. — Advice 
 respecting attending Meetings. — Impostors. — A testi- 
 mony against Robert Lawrence. — First settlement of 
 Friends. — Richard Farnsworth in North Warwick- 
 shire, — Richard Hubberthorn in South Warwickshire. 
 — Sundry Minutes ... ... ... ... ... 56 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Declension of Spiritual life. — Women's Meetings. — 
 Week-day Meetings. — Riotin Birmingham. — Schools. 
 — Yearly Meeting's Committee. — Low state of South 
 Monthly Meeting. — Increased stringency of Rules, — 
 Deficiencies in answers to queries. — Meetings closed 
 at Berkswell, Harbury, Balsall Street, and Henley. — 
 Junction of Warwickshire with Leicestershire Quar- 
 terly Meeting. — Fewness of Ministers at the end of 
 the Century ... ... .. ... ... ... 75 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Union of Meetings. — The North Monthly Meeting. — 
 Some account of Birmingham Meeting. — Birmingham 
 in the 17th Century. — First Meeting House. — Various 
 Minutes. — Baddesley. — Wigginshill. — Tamworth. — 
 Henley. — Fulford Heath.— Hart.shill. — Atherstone. — 
 Lapworth .. ... ... ... .. ... 84 
 
Contents . 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The Middle Moirthly Meeting. — Coventry Meeting in 
 Hill Street. — In Vicar Lane. — Number of Friends. — 
 Causes of decline. — Care of the Poor. — Cash Ac- 
 counts. — Warwick Meeting. — George Fox in the 
 Market. — The Meeting House and Graveyard. — Rest- 
 ing place of William Dewsbury. — Occupations of 
 Friends. — Fire at Warwick. -Sundry Minutes. — Re- 
 duced Numbers, — Meeting at Radford. — Harbury 
 Meeting House. - -Berkswell. — Stratford. -Bedworth. 
 Meriden. — Balsall Street ... ... ... ... 120 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A Country Monthly Meeting. — Early Minute Book. — 
 Care of Poor. — Number of Members. — Meetings and 
 Meeting Houses of Long Compton, Upper Eatington, 
 Brailes, and Radway. — Armscot and Shipston-upon- 
 Stour Meetings. — George Fox at Armscot, and his 
 imprisonment at Worcester ... ... ... ... 141 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Ministers in W^arwickshire. — Numerous in the early part 
 of the Eighteenth Century. — First Record. — Brief 
 Memoirs. — Education in the Society in Warwickshire. 
 — Extract from W. Dewsbury's Sermon .. ... 160 
 
MEETINGS OF FKIEM)S 
 
 la jilaces Truxrkedi wvSh CcpitalZeturs Jteetm^Mtzhses were Imztt 
 Jk ikose war7!£d m sirLaHerletbers/primte /umuses or Ture^ roorrts were used 
 
Friends in IVarwickshire, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 George Fox's birthplace intimately connected with Warwickshire.— His 
 youth and emplojonents. — Visits Atherstone, Tamworth, and Coventry'. — 
 His distress of mind — followed by peace and joy.— George Fox's simple and 
 scriptural views of Divine truth. — Friends first called " Quakers " at Derby, 
 in 1650. — George Fox visits Friends in Warwick Gaol. — Priests at Nuneaton. 
 
 — Meeting at Birmingham. — Bailiff's persecution at Warwick. — Drunken 
 Professor. — Rude mob at Dunchurch. — William Edmundson. — Sufferings of 
 Friends in 1666. — Warwick Gaol and its many prisoners for conscience sake. 
 
 — George Fox visits them. — Termination of George Fox's labours in 
 Warwickshire. 
 
 The pleasant midland county of Warwick is 
 intimately connected with the early history 
 of the Society of Friends. Close to its bor- 
 ders, in the adjoining county of Leicester, and 
 at the rural village of Drayton-in-the-Clay,* 
 George Fox, the son of " righteous Christer," 
 first saw the light. In sight of the woody 
 slopes and gentle uplands of North Warw^ick- 
 shire, and in the heart of England," this, in 
 so many respects, the greatest reformer of the 
 
 * Now called Fenny Drayton. 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 seventeenth century, was trained up by his 
 " honest and sufficient parents " in " the nur- 
 ture and admonition of the Lord/' 
 
 It was here, " and while yet a child," as 
 William Penn says of him, that "he appeared 
 of another frame than the rest of his brethren ; 
 being more religious, still, inward, solid, and 
 observing beyond his years, as the answers he 
 would give, and the questions he would put, 
 manifested, to the astonishment of those that 
 heard him, especially in divine things." Here 
 he also received, probably from his excellent 
 mother, the few rudiments of school instruc- 
 tion that fell to his share ; she also " taking 
 notice of his singular temper and the gravity, 
 wisdom, and piety that very early shined in 
 him, refusing childish and vain sports and 
 company when very young. She was tender 
 and indulgent over him, so that from her he 
 met with little difficulty." 
 
 We can well imagine the interest and affec- 
 tionate solicitude with which Mary Fox 
 v/atched over her grave and singular, but, 
 doubtless, loving boy. She herself being, as 
 her son says, " of the stock of the martyrs," 
 he must have inherited from her that un- 
 daunted martyr-spirit which enabled him with 
 such boldness and patience to preach the 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 3 
 
 truth or suffer for it according to the will of 
 his Heavenly Master. 
 
 " As to his employment," as his admiring 
 biographer, William Penn, writes, " he was 
 brought up in country business, and as he 
 took much delight in sheep, so he was very 
 skilful in them ; an employment that very 
 well suited his mind in several respects, both 
 from its innocency and solitude, and was a 
 just figure of his after-ministry and service." 
 In this congenial occupation, we can imagine 
 the young shepherd often, like the Psalmist 
 of old, engaged in the contemplation of the 
 works of nature, and joining with him in the 
 exalted language, O Lord, how manifold are 
 thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them 
 all." Nor is this to be considered as vague 
 speculation, for it cannot be doubted that he 
 who " knew pureness and righteousness at 
 eleven years of age," early learned to love the 
 truths of holy scripture, and was made " wise 
 unto salvation," through faith in their Divine 
 Author. It is also more than probable that 
 the very Bible which he afterwards gave to 
 the Meeting House at Swarthmoor was the 
 one from which, under his mother's tuition, he 
 first read. He speaks in after-life of making 
 use of the " bishop's Bible," and the one in 
 
4 
 
 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 question bearing the early date of 1540, was 
 the edition translated by Myles Coverdale, 
 and authorised by Henry VIII. to be read in 
 the parish churches. It is likely, therefore, 
 that this identical book was a family heirloom 
 in years preceding the birth of George Fox in 
 1624. 
 
 His master, who joined to his trade of 
 grazier that of shoemaker and dealer in wool, 
 found in George Fox a conscientious ser- 
 vant, and employed him to attend markets 
 and fairs, where, as he himself says, **a great 
 deal passed through my hands and by this 
 means he would doubtless become familiar 
 with the neighbouring towns in his native 
 county, and those adjacent, in both Derby- 
 shire and Warwickshire ; places afterwards to 
 be the scene of some of his deepest spiritual 
 exercises, his earliest ministry, and bitterest 
 persecutions.* 
 
 It is at Mancetter, near Atherstone, and in 
 the year 1643, that George Fox's name is 
 first associated with the county of Warwick 
 At the age of twenty, after deep religious 
 
 * I have failed to discover the sources of information from which Carlyle, 
 in his Sartor Resartus, draws such a graphic picture of the manufacture by 
 George Fox of his leatJiern suit ; neither he or his early biographers ever 
 mentioning a circumstance on which Carlyle comments so largely and builds 
 so much. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 5 
 
 exercises and seeking among many priests 
 and professors for spiritual comfort, he relates 
 that he went to another ancient priest at 
 Mancetter, who, after conversing with him 
 for some time, and ignorant of his condition, 
 recommended him to take tobacco and sing 
 psalms." He adds, " tobacco was a thing I 
 did not love, and psalms I was not in a state 
 to sincr • I could not sino-." He then went to 
 
 O ' CD 
 
 another priest near Tamworth, walking seven 
 miles to see him, but him he "found only like 
 an empty, hollow cask." He next came to 
 Coventry, to see and converse with Doctor 
 Cradock ; and walking with him in the gar- 
 den, and while intent on the conversation, 
 George Fox inadvertently trod on one of the 
 flower beds, at which the Doctor flew in 
 such a rage as if his house had been on fire. 
 Thus," Fox remarks, all our discourse was 
 lost, and I went away in sorrow, worse than I 
 was when I came." 
 
 He appears to have returned home, where 
 he remained for a year or two, in a low and 
 depressed state of mind, yet still zealous of 
 good works, as may be seen from his own 
 words at this period. " When the time called 
 Christmas came, while others were feasting 
 and sporting themselves, I looked out for 
 
6 
 
 Friends in WaJ'wickshire. 
 
 poor widows, and gave them some money. 
 When I was invited to marriages (as I some- 
 times was) I went to none at all, but the next 
 day, or soon after, I Vv'Ould go and visit them, 
 and if they were poor I gave them some 
 money ; for I had wherewith both to keep 
 myself from being chargeable to others, and 
 to administer something to the necessities of 
 those who were in need." 
 
 In the year 1646, George Fox speaks of 
 being again at Coventry, and how it was there 
 " opened to him that being bred at Oxford or 
 Cambridge was not enough to fit and qualify 
 men to be ministers of Christ," which he says 
 was the common belief of the people. After 
 recording much more of the deep sorrow he 
 experienced in his enquiry after truth, both 
 amongst the clergy of the established church as 
 well as the dissenting people, he mentions the 
 latter as evincing " some tenderness." But he 
 found none who understood his condition of 
 mind, none who could help him. It was just 
 at this extremity when, as he says, " My 
 hopes in all men were gone, that then, O then 
 I heard a voice which said, 'There is one, 
 even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy con- 
 dition and when I heard it my heart did 
 leap for joy. Then the Lord let me sec why 
 
Friends ift Warwickshire. 
 
 7 
 
 there was none upon earth that could speak 
 to my condition, namely, that I might give 
 him all the glory ; for all are concluded under 
 sin and shut up in unbelief, as I had been, 
 that Jesus Christ might have the pre-emi- 
 nence, who enlightens and gives grace and 
 power," 
 
 Thus it was that this eminent servant of 
 Christ, having in himself experienced the 
 "liberty which makes free," became for the 
 rest of his days so faithful in testifying in 
 all parts of our own country, on the Conti- 
 nent of Europe, and in America, to the 
 " Light which lighteth every man that cometh 
 into the world ;" " encouraging," as William 
 Penn says, those who were already profess- 
 ors to wait in patience for the light of Christ 
 in their own hearts, that their knowledge of 
 God might stand in the power of an endless 
 life. He also faithfully denounced sin, call- 
 ing people to repentance, and to faith in our 
 Lord Jesus Christ." His simple and scriptural 
 views of divine truth may be best briefly 
 summed up by a fine passage from one of his 
 epistles. Live in the noble seed Christ 
 Jesus, the anointed One, and the righteous 
 holy One, that your minds, hearts, souls, 
 spirits and bodies may be righteous, living in 
 
8 
 
 Friends in Wafwickshire. 
 
 the righteousness of Christ Jesus, in all love, 
 virtue, truth and holiness, without which none 
 can see God. And Christ is pure, the right- 
 eous One, the holy One, in him live ; for 
 Christ who sanctifies the impure is pure ; He 
 who never fell sanctifieth and washeth them 
 that are in the fall. He who never trans- 
 gressed redeems out of all transgression ; He 
 who never sinned redeems out of sin and 
 makes an end of it."* 
 
 In 1648 we find George Fox again in this 
 county, where he says he met "a great com- 
 pany of professors, who were praying and ex- 
 pounding the scriptures in the fields. They 
 gave the Bible to me, and I opened on the 
 fifth chapter of Matthew, where Christ ex- 
 pounded the law ; and I opened the inward 
 state and the outward state to them ; upon 
 this they fell into a fierce contention, and 
 so they parted : but the Lord's power got 
 ground." It was in this year, too, as his expe- 
 rience ripened, that George Fox was enabled 
 to say, " that when the Lord God and his Son 
 Jesus Christ sent me forth into the world to 
 preach his everlasting gospel and kingdom, I 
 was glad that I was commanded to turn 
 people to that inward light, spirit, and grace, 
 
 * George Fox's Epistles, edited by Samuel Tuke. 
 
Friends in Warzvick shire. 
 
 9 
 
 by which all might know their salvation and 
 their way to God ; even that Divine Spirit 
 that would lead them into all truth." 
 
 In the next year or two his labours seem 
 to have been chiefly in the midland counties, 
 though his visits to the county of Warwick 
 from this period were much less frequent. It 
 was at Derby, in 1650, that those who by this 
 time were known among themselves by the 
 endearing name of Friends w^ere first called 
 " Quakers," by the persecuting magistrate, 
 Justice Bennett, and in the same place George 
 Fox suffered his first imprisonment. It also 
 appears that about this year, several congre- 
 gations had been gathered into Christian fel- 
 lowship as Friends. Amongst the earliest of 
 these were some in North Warwickshire ; for 
 George Fox relates, that " passing out of 
 Leicestershire, I heard of a people who were 
 in prison at Coventry for their religion." He 
 visited them, and from thence went to Ather- 
 stone, *'and it being their lecture day," he 
 says, I was moved to go to their chapel to 
 speak to the priests and people. They were 
 generally pretty quiet, only some few raged, 
 and would have had my relations to have me 
 bound. I declared largely to them how God 
 was come to teach his people himself, and 
 
lo Friends in Warwickshire, 
 
 bring them off from all man-made teachers 
 to hear his Son : and some were convinced 
 there." 
 
 George Fox, after an extended tour in the 
 northern counties, paid a visit to his relations 
 at Drayton, in 1654 ; before doing which he 
 speaks of being at Anthony Brickley's, in 
 Warwickshire, where there was a great meet- 
 ing ; at v/hich several Baptists and others 
 came and jangled, but the Lord's power came 
 over them." There can be no doubt this was 
 immediately in the neighbourhood of Baddes- 
 ley, a village lying between Tamworth and 
 Atherstone, in which, by this time, there ap- 
 pears to have been a considerable congrega- 
 tion of Friends. 
 
 In his own simple, yet forcible style, George 
 Fox records the particulars of this visit to his 
 relatives, and to the convinced people in the 
 neighbouring towns and villages, where he 
 encountered much opposition from priests and 
 professors, but which doubtless tended in no 
 small degree to strengthen the faith of the 
 new converts.* 
 
 George Fox paid 'another visit to his rela- 
 tions at his native village the next year, 1655. 
 This time he was unmolested ; and making 
 
 * Journal. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 1 1 
 
 inquiry where the priests and professors were 
 who, on his last visit, had opposed him so 
 much, was told that they were gone to the 
 neighbouring town of Nuneaton. The clergy- 
 man of that parish being dead, " there were 
 eight or nine of them seeking to get his bene- 
 fice," and adding that " they are like a com- 
 pany of crows when a sheep is dead, they all 
 gather round his carcase, — so do the priests 
 for a fallen benefice." He shrewdly adds : 
 " It was some of the hearers of these priests 
 that said so of them." George Fox next 
 speaks of being again at Baddesley, where 
 "there was a great meeting, at which many 
 were convinced and turned to the Lord, who 
 came to sit under Christ's free teaching, and were 
 settled in Him, their foundation and rock."* 
 There can be but little doubt that many of 
 those who attended this meeting became the 
 founders of meetings in North Warwickshire, as 
 a reference to the early records of the Society 
 in this county shews that various assemblies 
 of Friends were settled just about this time. 
 It is clear that twenty meetings had been 
 gathered by the year 1656 in as many miles 
 from the birth-place of George Fox. These 
 meetings were soon after visited by him, for he 
 
 * Journal. 
 
12 
 
 Friends in Wai wicksJiire. 
 
 states : " I passed into Warwickshire through 
 Friends, visiting their meetings, and so into 
 Worcestershire." It is in the year 1655, and 
 in the course of this journey, that George Fox 
 first makes mention of the town of Birmingham, 
 in the following brief manner : " I had a meet- 
 ing at Birmingham as I went, where several 
 were convinced and turned to the Lord." 
 
 George Fox visited Warwickshire a second 
 time in 1655. He speaks of having a meeting 
 in a widow's house at Warwick, and that 
 many sober people were present, who were 
 convinced and turned to the Lord." While 
 they were thus meeting, the town bailiff and 
 his officers walked in, saying, " What do these 
 people here at this time of night V and taking 
 the names of some present, engaged them, with 
 George Fox, to make their appearance before 
 him in the morning. He then gave them leave 
 to provide themselves lodging in the inn, where, 
 next day, they were much disturbed by many 
 rude people who came to the inn, and invaded 
 even their sleeping-rooms. The bailiff making 
 his appearance soon after, told George Fox 
 and his companions that " they were at liberty 
 to go their ways, for he had little to say to 
 them." Before leaving the town, however, 
 George Fox called on the bailiff to let " him 
 
Friends m Warivickshire. 13 
 
 know that the Protector having given forth 
 an instrument of government in which liberty 
 of conscience was granted, it was very strange 
 that, contrary to it, he would trouble peace- 
 able people who feared God." The rude people 
 followed the Friends out of the town, pelting 
 them with stones, and one dragged so hard at 
 George Fox's horse's bridle, that he broke it. 
 The bailiff was present during this assault of 
 the Warwick rabble, but did not in any way 
 rebuke their proceedings, although, as Fox 
 says, " it was much that they were not slain 
 in the streets." 
 
 He was next at Coventry, Vv'here he went to 
 a professor's house that he had visited before, 
 and found him, to his great grief, overcome 
 with drink. George Fox records that it 
 grieved his soul so, that he did not go into 
 any house in the city, but rode away to Dun- 
 church, and had a meeting there, and that in 
 the morning there gathered a rude company 
 of priests and people who behaved more like 
 beasts than men, — for some of them came 
 riding on horseback into the room the meeting 
 was held in ; but the Lord gave them do- 
 minion over them." After this, he spent a 
 short time in Leicestershire, but was soon 
 at Baddesley again. Here he met Wilham 
 
14 Friends in Warwickshire, 
 
 Edmtindson, who was the first person in Ire- 
 land who had pubhcly adopted the principles 
 of Friends. George Fox says that, having 
 some drawings in his spirit, this good man 
 had come over to England to see him, and by 
 whom he sent back a brief epistle to the Irish 
 Friends. 
 
 After suffering a long imprisonment at 
 Launceston Castle, in the year 1656, near the 
 end of it he obtained his liberty, and travelling 
 northward, he held a great meeting at Edge 
 Hill. "There came to it Ranters, Baptists, 
 and several sorts of rude people ; for I had 
 sent word about three weeks before to have a 
 meeting there, so that hundreds of people 
 were gathered thither, and many Friends 
 came far to it. The Lord's everlasting truth 
 and word of life reached over all ; the rude 
 and unruly spirits were chained down ; and 
 many that day were turned to the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, by his power and Spirit, and came to 
 sit under his blessed, free teaching, and to be 
 fed with his eternal, heavenly food. All was 
 peaceable ; the people passed quietly away, 
 and some of them said it was a mighty, power- 
 ful meeting ; for the presence of the Lord 
 was felt, and his power and Spirit amongst 
 them." Soon after this, we find various meet- 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 15 
 
 ings settled in South Warwickshire. George 
 Fox then visited Warwick, Baddesley, and 
 other places in the county, in the winter of 
 1656, having "precious meetings." 
 
 The sufferings and persecutions of Friends 
 in this district seem to have begun in 1656. 
 " A poor widow, of Grendon (in North War- 
 wickshire), had for some time professed the 
 principles of the Quakers ; for which cause 
 only, her landlord, Walter Chetwynd, had 
 arbitrarily thrust her and her children out of 
 the house, throwing her goods into the street ; 
 and when she rem.inded him of his father's 
 promises, that she should live there as long 
 as she pleased, he replied, * You were not a 
 Quaker when my father made that promise.' 
 And although she had been at the charge of 
 ploughing the land, he forbad her sowing it, 
 saying, ' if she sowed it, he would reap it.' " 
 Samuel Smith, also, in the same neighbour- 
 hood, " v,-as violently dispossessed of his land, 
 though he had received a similar promise from 
 his landlord." No other reason for this un- 
 christian usage was given than "that he had 
 affronted the ministers," and his landlord 
 added that "he would see all the Quakers 
 hanged before he would allow them to hold 
 meetings in any house of his."* 
 
 * Besse. 
 
1 6 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 The earliest notices of Friends in this county 
 as a coliective body, begin in 1657. In the 
 first quarterly meeting minute book it is re- 
 corded in a somewhat obscure manner, that 
 in this year two Friends, Edward Teddes and 
 Philip Rose, went from Hartshill on the 30th 
 day of the 4th month, 1657, whose intention 
 was to go to New England on the service of 
 truth ; but what became of them was not cer- 
 tainly known, but by all likelihood they were 
 cast away." From this it may be implied that 
 these two early missionaries were shipwrecked, 
 never being mentioned afterwards. In the 
 same year, too, we find a record, very illegibly 
 written, stating that ''Anthony Brickley, of 
 Baddesley, (with whom George Fox lodged, 
 and held at his house the meeting already 
 mentioned in 1654,) and twenty-one other 
 Friends, whose names are also given, suffered 
 twenty-six weeks' imprisonment for meeting 
 together to worship God, and during their 
 imprisonment were several times tempted to 
 take the oath of allegiance, which they refused 
 to do." 
 
 Following these, are many simple and brief 
 records of the manner in which our forefathers 
 in the truth nobly bore their testimony against 
 priestcraft and the entire ecclesiastical system 
 
F7'i£nds ill Warzvickshire. 17 
 
 of that day, which they had been led to regard 
 as repugnant to the true liberty of the gospel 
 as taught by Christ and His apostles. Some 
 were imprisoned for not paying tithes, others 
 for " not taking off their hats," or " for refusing 
 to swear," so that a large number of the Friends 
 of this county were in Warwick gaol at this 
 period. Indeed, the treatment which Friends 
 at this time met with from persecutors, and 
 for a long period subsequently, was intolerably 
 base and cruel. 
 
 In 1660, George Fox, on a visit to his 
 relations, attended a meeting at Baddesley. 
 While under his father's roof, it was reported 
 to a magistrate of the neighbourhood " that 
 he had a good horse with him :" upon which, 
 George Fox says " he sent a warrant to search 
 for me and my horse, but I was gone before 
 they came, so he missed of his wicked end.'* 
 From Warwickshire he next proceeded north- 
 wards to Balby, in Yorkshire, where the third 
 national gathering of Friends under the name 
 of a Yearly Meeting was held, and at which 
 several thousands of Friends and other people 
 were present; indeed, it may be said of Friends 
 in those early days, and for many years after- 
 wards, that at their assemblies, whether as 
 Yearly or Quarterly Meetings, they neither 
 
1 8 Friends in WarwicksJiire. 
 
 hid their light under a bushel or sought to 
 keep the good things of the kingdom to 
 themselves. On the contrary, such gather- 
 ings were made abundantly instrumental in 
 spreading a knowledge of the truth, by the 
 earnest ministry of many faithful preachers 
 of the gospel. 
 
 The Friends in Warwick gaol received a 
 comforting visit from George Fox in 1666, 
 soon after his release from his own long im- 
 prisonment in Scarborough Castle. Nor can 
 we wonder at his remark at this time, that 
 " he was weak with lying almost three years 
 in cruel and hard imprisonment, and that his 
 joints and his body were so stiff and benumbed 
 that he could hardly get on his horse or bend 
 his joints ; nor could he bear to be near a fire, 
 or eat warm food, having been kept so long 
 from both." Yet, seeking no ease or rest for 
 •himself, Ave find him at once travelling zeal- 
 ously in the work of the ministry. Holding 
 meetings in many towns and villages in 
 Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicester- 
 shire, as he journeyed sou-thward, he first 
 visited the prisoners in Leicester gaol ; and 
 after also visiting- his relations at Drayton, 
 proceeded to Warwick to visit the prisoners 
 in that town. He was then at Baddesley, and 
 speaks of having " a precious meeting there." 
 
Friends in WarivicksJiire, 
 
 19 
 
 In the winter of 1667, George Fox had 
 "'^ many blessed meetings in Warwickshire and 
 Leicestershire," and he writes that in this year 
 ^' the order of the gospel was set up " in these 
 two counties, and that Men's Monthly Meet- 
 ings were established. For a few years pre- 
 vious to this, Quarterly Meetings had been 
 very generally organized. Two years after, 
 in 1667, George Fox, apparently ever ready 
 to follow the promptings of filial duty, again 
 paid a visit to his relations, and afterwards 
 to the gaol at Warwick, where, as he tells us, 
 many were in prison :" holding a meeting 
 \xi the town, he passed on to Birmingham, and 
 held a meeting, and at Baddesley ''a large 
 one." 
 
 During the following year George Fox wrote 
 from London to his wife at Swarthmore, asking 
 her to meet. him in Leicestershire, most prob- 
 ably intending it to.be at the house of his aged 
 parents, as he had been married to Margaret 
 Fell only a few months ; but when he reached 
 that county he was met by the tidings of his 
 wife being haled out of her house and to 
 Lancaster prison again." So, turning from 
 Leicestershire, he visited the meetings in 
 Derbyshire and Warwickshire, and proceeded 
 back to London, where he took counsel with 
 
20 Friends in Warwickshire, 
 
 his two daughters-in-law, Mary Lower and 
 Sarah Fell, as to petitioning the king for the 
 discharge of his wife from prison. 
 
 George Fox was next in Warwickshire in 
 the second month of 1677, and held a meeting 
 at Henry Sidon's at Baddesley. He records 
 that it was large and peaceable, notwithstand- 
 ing that a justice had threatened to come and 
 break it up. The following day George Fox 
 was at Hartshill, at Nathaniel Newton's,* 
 where several Friends met him, with whom he 
 " had good service." 
 
 Early in 1678, coming out of Worcester- 
 shire, George Fox records that " he struck to 
 Ragley,-f- in Warwickshire, to visit the Lady 
 Conway,j who I understood was very desirous 
 to see me, and whom I found tender and lov- 
 ing, and willing to detain me longer than I 
 had freedom to stay. About two miles hence 
 
 * Nathaniel Newton appears to have been a Friend of some property, as 
 in an early minute book there are one or two requests from the Monthly 
 Meeting that he should lend money to Friends who were in need ; the 
 Meeting, however, recording its opinion that "the said Friends should 
 pay interest for the same," 
 
 t Ragley Park, close to the town of Alcester. 
 
 X Lady Conway was a person of great piety, and a favourer of Friends. 
 In a letter to Dr. Henry More, who was her particular friend, she expresses 
 herself thus respecting them : — "Your conversation with them (the Friends) 
 at London, might be, as you express it, charitably intended, like that of a 
 physician visiting his patients for the increasing confirmation of their health, 
 but / must confess that my converse with them is to receive health and 
 refreshment from them." — JoJm Barclay's Letters of Isaac Pennington 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 21 
 
 I had two meetings at a Friend's house, 
 ivhose name was John Stanley, whither Wil- 
 L'am Dewsbury came and stayed with me 
 about half a day.* Afterwards I visited 
 Friends in their meetings at Stratford, Lam- 
 coat, and Armscot, and thence passed into 
 Oxfordshire." In the summer of the same year 
 he had a meeting or two in War\vickshire," 
 after having spent some time in comforting 
 and encouraging the Friends at Leicester 
 that were in prison there for the testimony 
 of Jesus." 
 
 George Fox's last record of a visit to War- 
 ^vickshire occurs in 1680. Having spent a 
 considerable time at Svv^arthmore Hall, and 
 then holding meetings in Yorkshire, Notting- 
 hamshire, " I passed into Derbyshire, Leices- 
 tershire, and Warv/ickshire, having meetings 
 all along till I came to Warwick ; there Wil- 
 liam Dewsbury came to me, and several other 
 Friends, and we had a little meeting in that 
 town. Then passing through Southam and 
 Radway, at each of which places I had a very 
 good meeting, I came to Nathaniel Ball's, at 
 North Newton, in Oxfordshire." With this 
 service closes the labours of this eminent man 
 in connection with the county of Warwick. 
 
 * At Wixford. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 Earliest Llonthly INIeetings in V/anvickshire.— Cruel treatment of 
 prisoners. — Letter from prisoners to George Fox. — Filthy prisons. — William 
 Dewsbury. — His long imprisonment. — Charity of Friends to prisoners 
 and those in distress. 
 
 From George Fox's own remarks in his 
 Journal, it will be seen that meetings for dis- 
 cipline were first held in Warwickshire in 
 1667. It was, however, not until nearer the 
 end of the seventeenth century that the 
 separate functions of Quarterly and Monthly 
 Meetings were pretty clearly defined, or the 
 boundaries of Monthly Meetings fully 
 determined.* 
 
 It must be remembered that this " gospel 
 order was set up " in a time of most severe 
 persecution and when large numbers of Friends 
 were in prison ; so that until persecution was 
 greatly mitigated at the passing of the tolera- 
 
 * In 1670 four Monthly Meetings were regularly held in Warwickshire^ 
 and are spoken of as " Men's Monthly Meetings," viz. : 
 
 Coventry Monthly Meeting, comprising Warwick, Stratford, Coven- 
 try, Southam, and Meriden. 
 Wishaw Monthly Meeting, comprising Baddesley, Wishaw, and 
 Tam worth. 
 
 Brailes Monthly Meeting, comprising Long Compton, Brailes^ 
 
 Radway, and Eatington. 
 Fulford Heath Monthly Meeting, comprising Fulford Heath and 
 
 H enley-in- Arden . 
 
Friends in Warzvick shire. 
 
 23 
 
 ation act, in 1689, but few meetings were 
 entirely able to fulfil all the functions devolv- 
 ing upon them. The religious assemblies of 
 Friends were mostly held up to this time 
 in hired rooms or in private houses. 
 
 A duty devolving largely on this Quarterly 
 Meeting in its early days was the " care of 
 poor prisoners in Warwick and Coventry gaols;" 
 for almost immediately following the restora- 
 tion, these gaols were crowded with Friends. 
 
 In an original letter written by a Warwick- 
 shire Friend to George Fox from the dungeon 
 of Warwick gaol, may be discovered the sort 
 of entertainment given by the justices (so 
 called) of that day to an innocent and Chris- 
 tian people. 
 
 "Dear George Fox, 
 
 " My love flows forth unto thee in the pure, holy, 
 and hnmortal life, and Friends here their dear love is to thee, 
 and our love to all faithful Friends in and about London. 
 There are many of us here imprisoned at Wanvick, to the 
 number of one hundred and twenty, and amongst us some 
 women Friends ; and they continue going on with their per- 
 secution still, for there were several more brought to prison 
 this morning ; and what prisoners are in Coventry and another 
 place in this county we have not certain knowledge of the 
 number of them, but we have heard that there is above a hun- 
 dred besides ourselves at \Yarwick. We that are here are 
 kept close from coming one to another. There were some of 
 our Friends here a little time since, put into a close cellar, 
 where they had not room to lie one by another ; and one of 
 
24 Friends in WarwicksJiirc, 
 
 them being near dead for want of room and air, was brought 
 forth very weak, and he yet remains sick and weakly. This 
 cruelty of the persecutors hath caused a great cry agains 
 them from many in Warwick ; since which time they have 
 removed the prisoners to a more convenient place, but they 
 are there kept close, and there is little [opportunity] of com- 
 ing to them, and much difficulty to bring us necessary things ; 
 but sometimes it is otherwise. 
 
 "6th of 1 2th month, i66o." 
 
 Like most other prisons in England at the 
 time of the restoration and for a hundred 
 years after, Warwick gaol was, as Thomas 
 Clarkson says in his Portraiture of Quaker- 
 ism, " a disgrace to humanity." Indeed, the 
 character of the prison at Warwick down to 
 the times of John Howard, was inconceivably 
 bad. It was filthy in the extreme, and all 
 classes of prisoners were huddled together in 
 indiscriminate association. Howard, speaking 
 of this gaol, says, "The night room of the felons 
 is an octagonal dungeon about twenty-one feet 
 in diameter, down thirty-one steps ; damp and 
 offensive ; the gaoler on going down always 
 took a preservative." Another writer, who 
 describes this place a few years later, says ; 
 " This offensive vault is eighteen feet ten 
 inches under ground. In the middle is a cess- 
 pool ; on the side is a stream for prisoners 
 to slake their thirst. There is a large heavy 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 25 
 
 ■chain now in the dungeon that passed through 
 a Hnk in the chains of each of the felons, which 
 was then carried up the steps and secured to 
 the outer door of the vault. The only light 
 and air is through an iron grate on the top 
 and nearly even with the surface of the 
 ground." 
 
 These were the dismal cells in which Friends 
 ivere often made to suffer, in company with 
 the most abandoned characters, and in which, 
 as their sufferings abounded, their consolation 
 •did at times much more abound, so that they 
 were often made joyful in Him who had called 
 them to suffer for His sake, and as William 
 Dewsbury himself says, esteemed the locks 
 and bolts as jewels." 
 
 It was in Warwick gaol that William Dews- 
 bury spent nineteen years of his life, four years 
 of which he was a close prisoner ; whether in 
 the pit or not is not stated. But it is men- 
 tioned by others to be in a dungeon twelve 
 steps underground, among the worst of fel- 
 ons, that he was imprisoned." In such a 
 dungeon as has been described George Fox 
 suffered his first imprisonment at Derby, in 
 a filthy stinking place, without any bed, 
 among thirty felons." And still more horri- 
 ble is his description of the dungeon in Laun- 
 
26 Friends in Warivickshire, 
 
 ceston Castle, called Doomsdale, and of which, 
 his journal afifords such a dreadful and sicken- 
 ing description. It can readily, therefore, be 
 imagined what privations and sufferings the- 
 hundred and twenty Warwickshire men and 
 women Friends must have endured, huddled, 
 as they were with felons and murderers in the 
 filthy gaol at Warwick. 
 
 William Dewsbury being so much asso- 
 ciated with Warwickshire Friends, in labours 
 and sufferings, deserves more than a passing 
 notice. This worthy man was one of the most 
 eloquent amongst the many earnest preachers 
 of the Society in the seventeenth century. He 
 was born in the North Riding of Yorkshire in 
 the reign of James I., and when quite a young 
 man, and some considerable time before 
 George Fox commenced his public ministry, 
 or the people called Quakers had ever been 
 heard of, he was led to embrace those views 
 of [gospel truth as they were afterwards held 
 by the Society of Friends. It was in 165 1 
 that William Dewsbury first met with George 
 F'ox, at Balby, near Sheffield. ''At an 
 evening meeting there," says George Fox, 
 "William Dewsbury and his wife came and- 
 heard me declare the truth ; and after the. 
 meeting, it being moonlight, I walked out into. 
 
Friends in Wai'zvick shire. 
 
 27 
 
 the field, and they came to me and confessed 
 to the truth." The following year he com- 
 menced his public ministry. He was impris- 
 oned first at Northampton, and afterwards in 
 York Castle with five hundred more Friends. 
 In 1660, shortly after his liberation from York, 
 with many more, by a proclamation from 
 Charles II., we find him at Warwick, and 
 with other Friends imprisoned there, for giv- 
 ing thanks after supper at an inn, which was 
 called preaching 2it a conventiclcr^ On this oc~ 
 casion several Friends were taken before a 
 magistrate at another inn, who tendered them 
 the oaths, and because they, for conscience 
 sake, refused to swear, they were sent to 
 prison, where, shameful to relate, some of 
 them were detained for ten years, and were 
 never brought to any further trial. It is evi- 
 dent, however, that William Dewsbury's im- 
 prisonment at this time was of short duration, 
 as we find him in the same year dating 
 an epistle from Newgate, from which it is 
 plain, that gaining his liberty at Warwick, he 
 proceeded to London only to find another 
 prison there. He was imprisoned again at 
 York between i66r and 1663 ; and towards 
 the end of the latter year was committed to 
 
 * Besse. 
 
28 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 his old quarters at Warwick, where he was a 
 prisoner from that time until 1671, a period 
 'Of nearly eight years. It does not appear 
 ivhat was the special charge laid against him 
 on this occasion. From Warwick gaol he 
 wrote several epistles well calculated to 
 quicken and confirm the faith of Friends in 
 a period of terrible persecution and suffering. 
 During this time he speaks of the great men- 
 tal suffering he frequently underwent, from 
 dissentions that occurred in the Society, con- 
 .sequent on the endeavour of George Fox to 
 establish a more orderly discipline. 
 
 WiUiam Dewsbury's second marriage took 
 place at Warwick, in 1667. His wife's name 
 was Alice Meades, of that town. The follow- 
 ing is a copy of the register : — 
 
 " William Dewsbuiy, of Durker, in the County of Yorke, 
 took Alice Meades, of the Burrough of Warwick, to wife, the 
 17 of the 3 month, 1667. Henery' Jackson, Thomas Russill, 
 George Harris, Thos. Whithead, Nathanill Newton, John 
 Wall, Joseph Wibbing, William Lucas, William Cockbill, 
 Saml. Lucas, John Sheward, Richd. Lucas, Thos. Goodaire, 
 Thomas Cooke, Patrick Livingston, Jane Eades, Katherin 
 Jackson, Jane Goodaire, Bridget Nickols, Esther Dolphin, 
 Hannah Whithead, Alice Eames, Mary Meades, Dorothy 
 Taylor." 
 
 William Dewsbury was discharged from 
 eight years' imprisonment at Warwick in 1671, 
 by a royal proclamation which extended to 
 
Friends in Warzvickshirc. 
 
 20t 
 
 many hundreds of Friends in every part of 
 the kinof-dom. He travelled into the west of 
 England, and in 1676 took up his residence 
 at Warwick. Two years after, in 1678, the 
 popish plot, as it was called, was made a fresh 
 pretext for the persecution of the noncon- 
 formists, and many cruelties were practised on 
 Friends under the plea of their being Jesuits. 
 On this ground William Dewsbury was once 
 more cast into W^anvick gaol, and although 
 the notorious Titus Oates gave a certificate, 
 under his own hand, clearing him from that 
 odious charge, it was in vain. He was con- 
 fined there for a period of at least six years,, 
 and was at last set at liberty on a general 
 proclamation of James H. in 1685. 
 
 Having lost his wife before he removed 
 to Warwick, he had as his attendant a little 
 grand-daughter, INIary Samm, to whom he 
 was greatly attached. But in 1680 he had to 
 endure, in addition to his imprisonment, the 
 loss of this affectionate companion, who died 
 when little more than twelve years of age. 
 William Dewsbury has left a most interesting 
 and touching account of his little relative, par- 
 ticularly of her last hours, and which is well 
 worthy of perusal. Speaking of himself soon 
 after his release, in one of his epistles, he says : 
 
30 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 "My dear friends, through the sharp persecutions that 
 were passed through in the heat of the day, and many long 
 imprisonments, being nineteen years a prisoner in this town 
 of Warwick, and four of them being kept a close prisoner, it 
 has pleased God to suffer my health to be impaired, so that 
 many times I am forced to rest two or three times in going 
 to the meeting in the town, not being of ability to travel as in 
 years past. I do in the love of God visit you in this epistle, 
 desiring that it may be read in the assemblies of his people, 
 that peace and eternal unity may be amongst you, in the 
 n^ime of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen." 
 
 In the last year of William Dewsbury's life, 
 his strength rallying a little, he visited Lon- 
 don in the third month, hoping to remain and 
 be present at the Yearly Meeting. A sermon 
 preached' by him on this occasion at Grace- 
 church Street, has been preserved, and illus- 
 trates in a remarkable way his power and elo- 
 quence as a preacher, and not less the depth 
 of his scriptural attainments and Christian 
 experience. He was compelled by an attack 
 of illness to give up the prospect of attending 
 the Yearly Meeting, and returned home to 
 Warwick, where he died about a week after, 
 in the fourth month, 1688, and was buried in 
 the graveyard adjoining the meeting house. 
 
 During the long period of William Dews- 
 bury's imprisonment at Warwick, he must 
 have come in contact with, a large number 
 of Warwickshire Friends as fellow-prisoners. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 31 
 
 Besides the commitments already mentioned, 
 there are existing records of many others, 
 in which peaceable Christian people were 
 taken from their religious meetings, or from 
 their own firesides, on most paltry pretences, 
 and committed to the tender mercies of the 
 Coventry and Warwick gaolers. 
 
 In 1660, it is stated that ''Thomas Winsole, 
 John Moody, Bridget Nicholls, and Richard 
 Eades, of Warwick, with several others, had 
 our glass broken and our goods spoyled, and 
 ourselves in danger to be slaine, for opening 
 our shops upon that idolized day which ye 
 world calls Christmas," In the same year 
 another memorandum tells us that "We suf- 
 fered about six score of us ten weakes impris- 
 onment for refusing to swear." 
 
 About the same period, " Thomas Russell, Edward Huf- 
 ton, Samuel Hunt, and severall others, being met together at 
 ye aforesaid Thomas Russell's house to worship God accord- 
 ing to the requiring of his Spirit in us, were seven of us taken 
 out of our peaceable meeting, and required to swear, which 
 for contions sake we could not doe, and therefore were sent 
 to prison, wheare we remained five weeks and then were 
 discharged from our imprisonment." 
 
 ' ' Edward Corbett, and John Corbett, and Thomas Walker, 
 of Brailes, were thrust into prison for tithes ye loth day of 
 6 month, 1660, and George IMyatt was sent to prison on ye 
 same accompt ye 7 day of ye 9 month." 
 
32 Friejids in Warwickshire. 
 
 " Humphrey Boland, and John Combes, and Richari 
 Woodard were cast into prison ye 9th day of ye 10 months 
 1660, for holding a meeting at Aston, by one who is called 
 Sir Charles Lay. " 
 
 "Edward Bonie, of Worcester, was sent to prison for 
 keepying a meeting at Over Eatenton, in ye County of War- 
 wick, ye II day of ye 10 mo., 1660, being accused as a. 
 wanderer and as one yt could give noe good accompt of his- 
 businesse, though he told them whence he came and where 
 he had been for several nights before. This was done by one 
 called Sir William Underhill, who hath heare the office of 
 justice." 
 
 Another instance of abominable treatment 
 experienced by Friends is thus somewhat sar- 
 castically recorded among other proofs of the 
 intolerance of the days of Charles II. The 
 names of five Friends are mentioned, "who 
 being on the road near Warwick, having been 
 there to visit their Friends in prison and were 
 returning home, there met them one who is 
 called Sir John Knightley, who bears the 
 name of a justice of the peace, and stopped 
 them on the highway, and took or caused ta 
 be taken from them, upon the road, goods 
 which were their own, lawfully bought and 
 paid for, and never returned them again, he 
 saying they v/ere Quakers, laying nothing also 
 to their charge, and so brought them back to 
 Warwick, and required them to swear, which 
 they for conscience sake refusing, were com- 
 
Friends in WarwicksJiire. 
 
 33 
 
 mitted to prison, where they remained about 
 a month and were then released. This was 
 done on the /th day of third month, 1664."* 
 
 During the ten years following the Restora- 
 tion, no part of the county of Warwick was 
 free from persecution. At Birmingham, 
 " William Dewsbury being in a meeting at the 
 house of William Reynolds, a constable came 
 with a rude multitude armed with swords 
 and staves, who pulled Friends out of the 
 house, and beat and abused some of them ; 
 they also broke the windows of the house in 
 the constable's presence. The like treatment 
 Friends met with when religiously assembled 
 in the house of William Bayley." 
 
 "John Carkitt, Edward Carkitt, and 
 Edward Walker were taken from their work 
 in harvest, at the suit of William Bishop of 
 Over-Brailes, for tithes, and committed to 
 the county gaol at Warwick, where they were 
 kept the first two nights in a dungeon twenty 
 steps under ground." f 
 
 At Alcester, several Friends were forcibly 
 dragged out of their meeting, and car- 
 ried before Justice Lee, who abused them 
 both by words and blows, and not admitting 
 them to speak in their just defence, committed 
 
 * Wanvickshire Minutes. f Besse. 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 Fyiatds in Warwickshire. 
 
 them to prison, where the cruel gaoler put 
 
 them in irons, and shut them up in a dungeon 
 
 with felons. They were kept close prisoners 
 
 from one assizes to another, and never brought 
 
 to any legal trial. In the same month Edward 
 
 Bourne was taken by a captain and horsemen 
 
 at a meeting at Eatington, and committed to 
 
 the same dungeon, and there laid in irons. 
 
 Perhaps the sentiments of the Warwick 
 
 prisoners at this time, cannot be better set 
 
 forth than by the following document, written 
 
 by Edward Bourne, from Warwick gaol : — 
 
 To Sir Charles Lee, with the rest of the 
 Commissioners sitting in Warwick. 
 
 " Friends, — I could have wished we had had more 
 liberty to speak for ourselves before you, that so you might 
 more fully have understood us, as to our practice and 
 principles, and our grounds and reasons wherefore we may 
 not swear, by which I am persuaded you might have received 
 much satisfaction as to the thing before mentioned, but the 
 keeper was forward in interrupting of us, and sending us back 
 into the dungeon, but whether he had received any such order 
 from you, before we came into your presence, I shall leave 
 the thing, wishing well unto you and him, which will be by 
 your turning unto the light of Christ is your consciences, and 
 taking heed thereunto, that it may lead you unto all truth, 
 that so your souls may be saved from the evil to come. Now 
 in regard our time was short when we M^ere with you, that we 
 had not the liberty to clear things before you, I was free to 
 write something in answer to what was objected, when it was 
 demanded, whether we could swear ? I answered, * I dare 
 not swear, because Christ forbad it,' who said, * Swear liot 
 
Friends in V/arivicksJiire. 
 
 35 
 
 at all." It was objected, 'Not in your communication,' 
 which is an addition to the words of Christ, who said, * Swear 
 not at all. ' Now before Christ came, frivolous oaths were not 
 admitted of, but they were to swear in nghteousness and truth, 
 ■and were to perform their oaths unto the Lord ; but saith 
 Christ, ' I say, swear not at all.' So now he is come whom 
 Moses prophesied of, who is the end of the Prophets, of 
 whom John bear witness, that Great Prophet, Christ Jesus, 
 who is the Light and Life of men, and who fears not Him, 
 must be cut off from amongst the people, and he saith, ' Swear 
 not at all.' And though it was objected, that the apostle 
 said to the Hebrews, ' An oath among men is to them an end 
 of all strife,' I answer, 'The apostle did not bring that to 
 make void the command of Christ,' who said, * Swear not at 
 all ; ' but the apostle brought that as a comparison to shew 
 what an oath among men was to signify : but who come to 
 learn of Christ, come to the end of oaths, to the end of 
 strife, the end of contention, where glory unto God on high 
 is given, and on earth peace and goodwill among men 
 followeth. And so you may take notice, that what we do, 
 we do it not in contempt of the king, or you that govern 
 under him, but in obedience to the Lord our God, with 
 whom we have great peace in our present sufferings, blessed 
 for ever be His holy name, in whom we trust, and in whom 
 we do believe that He will deliver us in the time appointed ! 
 unto whom we leave it to plead our cause with you, who is 
 just, righteous, and holy altogether, who will reward every 
 one according to their works, with whom there is no respect 
 of persons, and so I subscribe myself, 
 
 A true friend unto you, who am a lover of your immortal 
 souls, 
 
 EDWARD BOURNE.'"* 
 
 From the Dungeon in Warwick, 
 the 6th of the 12th mo. 1660. 
 
 * Besse. 
 
36 Friejids in Warwickshire. 
 
 In 1 66 1 . — " Thomas Goodaire, preaching in a 
 meeting at Eatington, was taken before one of 
 the deputy-lieutenants, who tendered him the 
 oath of allegiance, and for refusing to swear 
 sent him to Warwick gaol, and with him one 
 Thomas Cooke, who in love to Goodaire 
 accompanied him from the meeting to see the 
 issue. At the next Quarter Sessions the oath 
 was again tendered to them, and they were 
 sent back to prison, as under sentence of 
 premunire though never legally convicted by 
 any jury. When they had been long in prison^ 
 they represented to some of the persecuting 
 justices the hardship of their case, and, that 
 there was a just judge in heaven who beheld 
 their innocent cause ! To this they received 
 this profane answer, ' We shall exercise the 
 power we have on earth against you, and 
 when 3^ou shall come to heaven, you may 
 take yoiLr turn to exercise your power 
 there.' They continued in prison thirteen 
 years."* 
 
 In the same year, several men and women 
 were taken at meeting, and were ordered to 
 be whipped as vagrants, although their houses 
 were known to be not far off. In 1662, Friends 
 from every meeting in the county were in 
 
 * Besse. 
 
Friends in WaruicksJiire. 37 
 
 prison, and all the men attending Baddesley 
 meeting were taken at one time. Several 
 other meetings were also broken up, as at Long 
 Compton, Radway, and Coleshill, by armed 
 men, who took away all the persons found 
 there and carried them to the justices, who 
 committed them to Warwick gaol in a 
 dark hole or dungeon, and in which the stench 
 was exceedingly offensive, by which many 
 suffered in their health. One of them, Stephen 
 Potter, being extremely weak, his wife, a poor 
 lame woman, came with her sister to the 
 prison to visit him, on which they were sent 
 to the house of correction, and there whipped. 
 
 In the southern part of the county, the 
 sufferings of Friends on account of tithes and 
 other ecclesiastical demands were very severe. 
 Men and women were taken to prison by 
 dozens at a time, and suffered intensely from 
 cold and the want of ordinary necessaries. 
 One old man, Robert Field of Eatington, at 
 the advanced age of ninety-three, had his 
 goods taken by " distress for not going to his 
 parish church," though it was well known that 
 owing to infirmity he was altogether unable 
 to leave his house on any occasion. 
 
 Accounts of money raised by the various 
 Meetings for a Quarterly Meeting fund are to 
 
38 
 
 Friends in Warzvick shire. 
 
 be found, commencing as early as 1670. Kenil- 
 worth Friends in that year raised 15s. for 
 this purpose ; and in 1674, sums were brought 
 in for the reHef of poor Friends in prison and 
 beyond the seas, from nearly all the meetings, 
 amounting to £2^ los. 8d. Another collec- 
 tion, made in 1675, amounting to 7s., was 
 raised " for the satisfaction of William Hunt's 
 loss at the suit of Palmer, the wicked jailer." 
 
 At the Quarterly Meeting at Warwick, the 
 4th of fourth month, 1675, the following mem- 
 orandum was made : For the general good 
 of such Friends as are in necessity. Friends 
 here did borrow of Robert Ashbury, of War- 
 wick, ;^30 for one in necessity, and for which 
 Friends in the county stand engaged." 
 
 Another minute in 1678, records an agree- 
 ment of Friends at the Quarterly Meeting, 
 that " there should be a general collection 
 made through Friends in the county, for the 
 purchasing of a meeting place for Friends 
 at Coventry. Of the amount raised, Birming- 
 ham subscribed £i los., and Baddesley £1. 
 
 In 1685, Warwickshire Friends received a 
 contribution from Ireland of £^, towards the 
 relief of the many of their members then in 
 prison. 
 
 In the same year Friends send ten shillings 
 
Friends in WarzvicksJiire. 39 
 
 from the Quarterly Meeting " for the relief of 
 a girl in prison visited with small pox ;" and 
 every quarter at this period we find constant 
 records of sums delivered to Friends in War- 
 wick and Coventry prisons, indicating the 
 great sufferings many at that time underwent, 
 as well as the ready charity of Friends to- 
 wards their brethren.* 
 
 * A collection ordered by the Quarterly Meeting in 1694 " for the relief of 
 the poore friends in prison and beyond j-e seas," produced the following 
 
 amounts : — 
 
 From T.ong Compton 1 15 0 
 
 ,. Radway 1 4 0 
 
 ,, Badgley 0 10 0 
 
 Warwick 1 0 0 
 
 ,, Eatington 0 14 0 
 
 Soudiam 0 12 0 
 
 ,, WLshaw 1 I) 0 
 
 ,, Birmingham 4 8 9 
 
 Fulford Heath 015 6 
 
 Coventr>' 0 14 7 
 
 „ Brayles 0 14 10 
 
 Received in all £Xi 8 8 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Society on its trial at the commencement of the eighteenth 
 century.— Meetings for discipline and number of members. — No formal 
 admissions into membership. — Many travelling ministers — A judging 
 spirit. — John Love's labours — Incident at War%vick and Coventry. — Circular 
 Meetings.— Con vincements. — Meeting at Balsall Street. — Appointment of 
 Elders and Overseers. — Exercise of the discipline on offenders.— Care for 
 younger Friends— Meetings for them at Coventry and Warwick. 
 
 Although the History of the Society of 
 Friends after the passing of the Toleration 
 Act, and during the eighteenth century, 
 yields less of stirring incident, there yet 
 remains much that is deeply interesting and 
 worthy of record. 
 
 The period in question was that in which 
 the Society, after the bitterness of persecution 
 had passed, was put on its trial as to how far 
 the anticipations of its founders would be 
 realised, in the spread of its principles, and in 
 the completion' of its church discipline. They 
 had to show to the world the fruits following 
 the maintenance of that great doctrine of the 
 " Light of Christ " as influencing the hearts of 
 all men, and the necessary connection between 
 that doctrine and the freedom of gospel 
 ministry. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 41 
 
 It is not difficult to prove that for at least 
 seventy years of its history, the Society of 
 Friends was a truly living church, and conse- 
 quently aggressive in its action, and that this 
 was to a large extent the condition of the 
 meetings in Warwickshire there can be no 
 doubt. At the end of this period, too, it is 
 probable that the number of members in the 
 county had reached its maximum of from one 
 thousand to twelve hundred. Yet at this time 
 the meetings for discipline were not surrounded 
 with a compact system of either written or 
 printed rules, easy of reference in cases of 
 emergency, while the mode of conducting the 
 business appears to have been singularly free 
 from form, as it was necessarily from strict 
 obedience to long established precedent. 
 
 It was also much later in the Society's 
 history that the broad distinction was made 
 between members and non-members ; all who 
 professed with Friends without any form of 
 "admission into membership" being equally 
 the Church's care, whether for spiritual over- 
 sight or for relief in temporal necessity. The 
 discipline of the Society was, however, vigor- 
 ously exercised upon offenders, but not often 
 until much forbearance had been exercised 
 towards them. It is true the Meetings for 
 
42 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 discipline were not so fully open to the whole 
 Society as at the present time, yet by various 
 means the members generally appear to have 
 had their interest kept alive in the various 
 duties devolving upon the Church * 
 
 In these days, too, and for the first hundred 
 years of the existence of the Society, there 
 were no " acknowledged ministers," in the 
 modern sense of the word, yet this was the 
 time of its greatest powers as relate both to the 
 numbers and usefulness of its ministers. At 
 the beginning of the eighteenth century more 
 than five hundred ministers can be designated, 
 of whom a large number were almost con- 
 stantly itinerant, carrying the message of the 
 gospel from Meeting to Meeting, even into 
 the remotest districts.-f- At Warwick in 1712, 
 a " public Friend " travelling in the ministry, 
 visited that Meeting, on an average, every 
 other First-day, and the " Public Meetings for 
 Worship," long held at the time of the 
 Quarterly Meetings, were opportunities for 
 the gathering together of many ministering 
 Friends from neighbouring counties, and for 
 
 * In 1703 Friends attending the Quarterly and Monthly Meetings "are 
 recommended to give an account in their several Meetings of the pro- 
 ceedings thereb." 
 
 t Stabling for thirty-three " travelling Friends' " horses was paid for by 
 Birmingham Friends in 1723. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 43 
 
 a large exercise of their gifts. These meet- 
 ings were sometimes held in the open air, from 
 inadequate space in the meeting houses. 
 Probably no church ever possessed greater 
 preaching power, in proportion to its numbers, 
 than this Society during the first half of the 
 eighteenth century. At these meetings con- 
 vincements often took place, so that in the 
 answers to the queries frequently occurs the 
 record that " some have been convinced so as 
 to frequent our meetings," or, divers of late 
 have joined with us in our way and worship." 
 
 It appears that several out of the numerous 
 body of ministers in Warwickshire frequently 
 received brief certificates for service in other 
 counties and in Ireland. They evince a warm 
 and lively unity between the church and its 
 ministers, and prove that the Society, as a 
 body, still had at heart the desire for the 
 spreading of the truth." Accompanying this 
 wholesome Christian labour there was, un- 
 doubtedly, at times a manifestation of a " zeal 
 without knowledge," and it was needful occa- 
 sionally for Monthly Meetings to request 
 individuals whose zeal led them into excesses, 
 to " keep silent in our Meetings," or, to "keep 
 at home and mind their lawful callings." 
 
 It appears, too, that among a few a " judging 
 
44 Friends iii Warwickshire. 
 
 spirit " in relation to the ministry had been 
 allowed to gain ground, and that some public 
 opposition to ministers travelling with proper 
 credentials was manifested, and it was this 
 state of things that probably led to the 
 appointment of elders to take oversight of the 
 ministry. The following incident will perhaps 
 illustrate this : — 
 
 ** I ith of 6 month, 1706. * * * John Love live th in 
 the Citty of Canterbury ; he went through the town of Warwick 
 preaching repentance to the people of the town, and mett 
 with no opposition and had an evening meeting in the public 
 meeting house of the people called Quakers in Warwick or 
 the 7th day of the above said month, where there was a very 
 full meeting of people of all sorts of perswasions, where were 
 delivered or laid down the fundamentals of true religion, and 
 so far as we could understand the auditory was well con- 
 tented with what they heard, and we do hope it will prove of 
 great servis. And the said John Love went from Warwick 
 to Coventry where he preached repentance to the people 
 through the streets, and had abundance of people to hear the 
 truth at the Cross, where he got upon it to preach to the 
 people and had a very good meeting without any opposition 
 from the people. But some of those under profession of the 
 truth namely M. G. and S. N. in the meeting he had in the 
 meeting house with friends, did oppose him after meeting as 
 af he preached fals doctrine, though one of them contradicted 
 the other and advised him to go home, and also that he did 
 not work to support his family, which was falsely charged 
 upon him, as in letters sent to them may be seen, coppys of 
 which are in my hands. He came from Coventry to Harbury 
 where he had a large meeting, and a large meeting the same 
 day at Warwick and was peaceable and without any dis- 
 turbance. He went from thence to Stratford where he 
 
Friends in WarwicksJiire. 45 
 
 preached through the streets, and at R. Bromley's house, and 
 thence to Allster where he preached in the streets and the 
 meeting house and then to Redditch." * 
 
 One of the means used by Friends for the 
 spreading of the truth during a considerable 
 part of the eighteenth century, was the hold- 
 incr of what were denominated " Circular 
 
 o 
 
 Meetings." These meetings were held yearly, 
 according to a plan of rotation, in several of 
 the western and west midland counties, ap- 
 pointments being made of suitable Friends 
 from each associated Quarterly Meeting to 
 attend them. They were held in Warwick- 
 shire about every seventh year, and in suc- 
 cessive turns, Atherstone, Coleshill, Coventry, 
 Rugby, Southam, Stratford, and Tamworth 
 were selected. 
 
 The usual proceeding, when the Circular 
 ^Meeting was to be held in Warwickshire, was 
 to appoint a large committee at the Spring 
 Quarterly Meeting to select a suitable place 
 and provide a large booth, in which the com- 
 pany could assemble, if the weather was 
 unpropitious. Innkeepers were also called on 
 by this committee and urged " to be moderate 
 in their charges" on those likely to be their 
 guests, and all preparations conducive to good 
 order were duly made. The time for holding 
 
 * Warwick Minutes. 
 
46 Friefids in Warwickshire. 
 
 the meetings was generally in the ninth month, 
 at the end of harvest. 
 
 From the reports given of these 'Meetings 
 it is apparent that many Friends attended 
 them, some coming from a great distance ; 
 besides which the inhabitants of the sur- 
 rounding districts assembled in large numbers. 
 In the minutes of the autumn Quarterly 
 Meetings it is frequently recorded that they 
 were large and peaceable, and the people 
 generally ready to hear the truth." The 
 needful expenses were raised by subscription 
 in the various Meetings, and usually amounted 
 to more than ^^50.* 
 
 * 1735.— This meeting received Nathaniel Newton's account, who was 
 ■cashier for this county, in relation to the expenses attending the Yearly 
 Meeting at Rugby, whose account stands as follows : — 
 
 Received. 
 
 
 £ s. 
 
 d. 
 
 From Birmingham 
 
 .. 19 10 
 
 6 
 
 ,, Baddesley 
 
 .. 10 0 
 
 0 
 
 , , Warwick 
 
 ..8 9 
 
 6 
 
 , , Coventry 
 
 .. 17 -I 
 
 0 
 
 Harbury 
 
 ..15 
 
 0 
 
 Eatington 
 
 .. 2 14 
 
 0 
 
 DiSBURST. 
 
 £ S. 
 
 To W. Betts for rent (of 
 land) 4 0 
 
 Jno. Bradley (carpenter) 
 
 1st and 2nd account . . 20 14 
 
 Thatching and servants 
 
 attending 0 10 
 
 Constables and assistants 2 5 
 
 Entertainment for Public 
 
 friends and their horses 10 10 
 
 John Allen and Samuel 
 
 Overton laid out .. 4 1 
 
 Expenses at ye 2nd meet- 
 ing 1 14 
 
 Cash in hand 10 5 
 
 £59 1 0 £59 1 0 
 
 Divers of the Friends appointed to attend the service of the Yearly 
 Meeting at Rugby gave their attendance, by some of whom we received a 
 very satisfactory account concerning the same, that the people were sober, 
 the meetings very large and much to comfort, and also that the subscriptions 
 for defraying the necesssary expenses relative thereto are sufficient. — 
 Warwickshire Minutes. 
 
Friends in Wariuickshire. 47 
 
 - Like the early Quarterly Meetings, the 
 ■Circular Meetings were often times of con- 
 vincement. A Circular Meeting being held 
 in this county between 1740 and 1750, 
 numbers flocked to it from all parts ; com- 
 mencing on First-day, Meetings were continued 
 at intervals until a " Parting Meeting " at noon 
 on the Third-day following. " Many public 
 Friends were present, and the testimony of truth 
 was largely and freely proclaimed tothepeople." 
 Among the attenders at Rugby was a sub- 
 stantial yeoman, named Clark, of Balsall Street, 
 near Kenilworth, with his wife and several 
 neighbours. John and Eleanor Clark appear 
 to have there become convinced of the 
 blessed truth," and a Meeting was established 
 in the farmer's house, which continued a 
 number of years, and attended by about 
 twenty persons. A year after this convince- 
 ment Eleanor Clark became a minister. It is 
 written of her that " she grew in grace, and 
 soon became a ferv^ent preacher of the gospel, 
 and travelled in the service of the truth, and 
 was instrumental to the convincement of 
 several, and was particularly serviceable in the 
 little Meeting settled at Balsall Street." * 
 
 * Samuel Newitt, of Warwick, was also convinced, at a Circular Meeting, 
 and united with Friends. He only lived five years after this, " having 
 been an acceptable minister four years of the time." He died in 1781, 
 aged forty-eight. 
 
48 Frie7ids in Warivickshire. 
 
 The number of ministering Friends having- 
 greatly declined in the latter end of the i8th 
 century, and the zeal of the Church, so ardent 
 in the early days, abating, the Circular 
 Meetings appear to have become much less 
 satisfactory, and these gatherings once so 
 favoured, were discontinued about the year 
 
 1785. 
 
 Reference has been made to the disorderly 
 conduct of some Friends early in this century 
 in relation to the ministry ; this undoubtedly 
 led to the appointment of elders about the 
 year 1704 ; these were directed to meet with 
 the ministers previous to each Quarterly 
 Meeting. For a time these meetings of 
 ministers and elders were kept up, but by 
 1727 they were either discontinued or held 
 irregularly, as in that year one of the ministers 
 of Birmingham Meeting brought before the 
 Quarterly Meeting the disorderly conduct of 
 some in that place, on which occasion the 
 following minute was made : 
 
 "This meeting, pursuant to the minute of the last Yearly- 
 Meeting, recommending to the Monthly Meetings the ap- 
 pointing of serious, discreet, and judicious Friends that are 
 not ministers, to tenderly encourage and help young ministers, 
 and doth recommend the same to our Monthly Meetings, 
 and that report be made to the next Quarterly Meeting 
 what's done in that affair. And also this meeting doth 
 
Friends in Warivickshire. 49 
 
 tenderly advise each particular Monthly Meeting to choose 
 honest, zealous, and judicious Friends to visit families 
 according to advice of our Yearly Meeting." 
 
 This subject was continued by minute for 
 several Quarterly Meetings in varying terms. 
 *'The minute continued by the last Quarterly 
 Meeting in relation to persons tenderly to 
 advise and encourage young ministers, being 
 part answered, is continued for the further 
 answering of it." Appointments were m.ade 
 in pursuance of this minute in 1728, in two of 
 the Monthly Meetings, but in the middle 
 Monthly Meeting no such appointment was 
 confirmed until the following year, when it 
 was reported that they also " have chosen 
 persons to advise and assist young ministers." 
 
 The first mention of overseers in this district 
 occurs in 1699. At the Quarterly Meeting 
 held at Brailes, the following minute was 
 made. " It is agreed by this meeting that 
 the representatives shall give account to all 
 their meetings that they do make a choice 
 of two honest Friends as overseers to make 
 inquiry, or ask lovingly, the Friends that 
 belong to their meetings, how they live or 
 behave themselves, both in life and conver- 
 sation. And when they are chosen, the names 
 of such as be appointed be brought to the 
 
 E 
 
50 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 next Quarterly Meeting, that their names 
 may be recorded." 
 
 The appointment of overseers thus referred 
 to, was not at that time made in all the 
 meetings, as the Quarterly Meeting again 
 refers to the subject in 1734, as follows : — 
 
 " It appears by divers accounts brought in that there is an 
 omission in divers meetings in not appointing proper judicious 
 persons to visit Friends in their families pursuant to the 
 advice of the written minutes of the last Yearly Meeting, 
 it's therefore earnestly desired the said advice both in that 
 and other branches of our Christian testimony may be put 
 in practice." 
 
 Many evidences are to be found that during 
 the early part of the eighteenth century the 
 meetings in Warwickshire were well settled 
 and prosperous. Much care was taken of the 
 poor, and the backsliding and erring were 
 faithfully, and yet tenderly, dealt with. Thus 
 we read that at Coventry — 
 
 "William Hodges and Samuel Nutt are appointed and 
 directed to speak to John Brabins, in order to bring him to 
 a sense of his outgoings in having given way to excessive 
 drinking and frequenting of ale houses to the scandal of the 
 blessed truth and dishonouring of Him Trho is its author." 
 
 It is pleasant to find subsequently that this 
 erring brother " brought in a paper of con- 
 demnation of his practices " to the Monthly 
 Meeting, in which he says "he has been 
 made sensible of his outgoings and back- 
 
Frieiids in WarivicksJiire. 
 
 51 
 
 slidings, and desired to remain in unity with 
 his friends." 
 
 Mary Marrit, another offender, is also to be 
 spoken to by two friends, "concerning her 
 idleness, ill company keeping, and dis- 
 obedience to her parents." The venerable 
 Samuel Overton, one of the most eminent 
 and gifted of the Warwickshire ministers, 
 appears to have been successful in restoring 
 this wandering sheep into the fold again. 
 In a paper which I\Iar>' Marrit gives in to 
 the Monthly Meeting, she acknowledges "the 
 tender care of friends, and that the Lord by 
 the voice of his ser\-ants, and the swift 
 witness of his spirit had given her a sight of 
 her evil and wicked doings, under which she 
 craves for forgiveness, and that friends will 
 forbear to cut her off from the Lord's people 
 who have shown such tender love to an un- 
 worthy wanderer." 
 
 The following letter, addressed to an 
 offender in Baddesley Meeting, is worth re- 
 cording, as showing how largely the true spirit 
 of love must have prevailed amongst its 
 members in 1699. 
 
 "Samuel Briggs forasmuch as thou having walked amongst 
 us the people of the Lord called Quakers, and we perceiving 
 thou hast not done according to the truth, and we feeling an 
 affection to thy soul do unfeignedly desire thy return ; we 
 
52 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 have had experience of the Lord's mercy, whence our desire is 
 to confer with thee so that thou wilt take advice from Friends 
 in order to thy recovery, that God maybe honoured over all." 
 
 Thomas Russell is sent for by the Monthly- 
 Meeting, where Friends lay before him ''the 
 evil consequences of his scandalous and vicious 
 conduct," and he promising amendment, this 
 meeting refers his case for future consideration. 
 
 This poor man, however, after months of 
 faithful and patient labour, was disowned for 
 " spending his precious time in excess and 
 drunkenness to the great dishonour of God, 
 the reproach of Christianity, and the scandal 
 of our holy profession." The minute con- 
 cludes, '* long have we waited with much 
 forbearance and sincere desires that he may 
 be brought to true repentance and amendment 
 of life ; yet for the clearing of the blessed 
 truth of Christ professed by us, we do declare 
 that we can have no unity or fellowship with 
 him until he shall come unto true repentance 
 and amendment of life, which that it may be 
 really witnessed is our sincere and hearty 
 desire." This testimony of disownment is 
 signed by the four men ministers of the 
 Middle Monthly Meeting. 
 
 Many references are made in the minutes, 
 both of the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, 
 
Frieitds in Warwickshire. 
 
 53 
 
 to the oversight of younger Friends, and 
 various suggestions appear to have been 
 offered on this subject. The following minute 
 was made in the Middle Monthly Meeting in 
 1710, as one of the results of its consideration. 
 
 "It is concluded and agreed that for the good of servants 
 apprentices and others of the younger sort, that there shall be 
 an evening meeting at Coventry every 6th day, beginning in 
 the 4th month, and to continue during the summer season, 
 which said meeting is to begin exactly at the sixth hour." 
 
 A similar care was taken at Warwick by 
 the holding of occasional meetings, in which 
 the advices of the society were read, and 
 much counsel given to the young in word and 
 doctrine, " concerning both how to proceed in 
 marriage, and, also, how every one ought to 
 walk in a holy life and blameless conversation 
 in all things, according to the doctrine of our 
 Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ." 
 
 " 1707, 1st month. *' Ordered by this meeting that there 
 be a meeting held at Warwick for the benefit and instruction 
 of young people, chiefly that profess the blessed truth, as 
 well as for those who are more in years, in order to hear read 
 the great care of the ancients that are gone to rest, and still is 
 on those that are their successors, that those many particulars 
 of wholesome advice concerning marriage, and other direc- 
 tions relating to a holy conversation may be put in practice. 
 And also to open the understandings of the young people as 
 the Lord may open the hearts of His servants so to do.* To 
 be held on the fifth of the second month called April, 
 1708. t 
 
 * Warwick Minutes. t Old St>le. 
 
54 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 Another meeting was appointed for the 
 following quarter, and the holding of it is thus 
 duly recorded. 
 
 ** On the 27th day of this instant (the seventh month called 
 September, 1708) was held another General Meeting at 
 Warwick for the benefit and instruction of young people 
 chiefly that profess the blessed truth, as well as for those who 
 are more in years. It being a meeting, not only for worship, 
 but also for discipline and good order in the Church of Christ, 
 in which meeting was the Lord's presence witnessed, which 
 attended His children to the end of the meeting, it being to 
 the great joy and comfort of all those who love the Lord 
 Jesus Christ above all the world. S. O. [Samuel Overton] 
 opened to this meeting that it ought to be the care and chief 
 concern of all, first, to seek the Kingdom of Heaven and the 
 righteousness thereof, and then all other things (so far as the 
 Lord sees meet for us,) shall be added. Also relating to the 
 cross of Christ for all to keep under the power of it which 
 crucifies unto the world, and baptizes us into Christ Jesus, 
 knowing that as many as are baptized into Christ are baptized 
 into his death ; therefore we are buried with him by 
 baptism into his death, that like as Christ was raised from 
 the dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should 
 walk in newness of life in him. For this cause, saith he, have 
 I sent unto you Timotheus who is my beloved son and 
 faithful in the Lord who shall bring you into remembrance of 
 my ways which be in Christ as I teach every where and in 
 every church. Now Paul's ways which he taught were 
 certainly discipline and good order in the churches, which 
 was part of his ministry that lay upon him wherever he came 
 to preach ; setting daily before them Christ, and how they 
 ought to follow him in the self denying path. And he also 
 reminds them by Timotheus of his ways in Christ, which the 
 Apostle in every Church has so often preached to them, con- 
 cerning Christ Jesus to] be their pattern in all their lives and 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 55 
 
 conversations &c. From these foregoing precepts something 
 was opened as a warning or call to come out of Babylon, 
 showing that Babylon was to be found within as well as 
 without ; but as young people as well as the old waited under 
 the power of the cross of Christ and did truly bow to the 
 same in them would not only discover Babylon but give 
 grace and strength to come out of her. Yea to come out and 
 be a self denying people, not indulging in fullness of bread, in 
 pride or vain glory, or in abundance of idleness, but in seeking 
 to know the truth of Christ, and in the spreading of that truth 
 and in strengthening the hands of the poor and needy." 
 
 "An exhortation was also given by J. H. 
 [John Hands] to those older in years ; to 
 fathers, mothers, masters, mistresses" — 
 
 "That they do seek for life and power to train up their 
 youth according to scripture, and the sound advice of our fore 
 elders, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, in the 
 daily reading of scripture, and that their own^ conduct and 
 conversation among the lads and maids have a sweet savour, 
 like unto our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ : and that they 
 duly, day by day, in the Lord's power, teach and admonish the 
 young concerning the new covenant, Christ Jesus ; even as 
 the Jews did their children in the old covenant. And that 
 no man live to himself, but let his light shine : that he may 
 seek to relieve the poor and the fatherless, and the widows, 
 and in all ways to be diligent for the Lord and his truth upon 
 the earth, that they may live in the seed that is blessed for 
 eyennore." 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Quarterly and Monthly Meeting Minutes. — Social Character of the 
 Meetings for discipline.- Children Apprenticed. — Representatives to the 
 Yearly Meeting. — Ministers' Meetings. — Answers to Queries — Advice 
 respecting attending Meetings — Impostors — A testimony against Robert 
 Lawrence.— First settlement of Friends. — Richard Famsworth in North- 
 Warwickshire.— Richard Hubberthorn in South Warwickshire. — Sundry 
 Minutes. 
 
 Some further interesting points in the history 
 of Friends in Warwickshire can be gathered 
 from the Quarterly and Monthly Meeting 
 minutes and records ; and it is proposed in 
 this chapter to present, nearly in chronological 
 order, various subjects, chiefly from the 
 minutes of the Quarterly Meeting, in con- 
 nection with notices of each meeting as may 
 be found in other documents and minutes of 
 each particular meeting. 
 
 In the early days of the Society the Quar- 
 terly equally with the Monthly Meetings, had 
 an oversight over the poor, and the records 
 of charitable donations were usually made in 
 the Quarterly Meeting book. The social 
 character of these meetings for discipline was 
 much more distinctly kept up than at a later 
 period. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 57" 
 
 There are some very early memorandums 
 relating to boys who were put apprentice at 
 the charge of the Quarterly Meeting. Thus, 
 " John Ludford, of Henley-in-Arden, is put 
 apprentice to Thomas Harford, of Baddesley,. 
 blacksmith, from the 25 th day of sixth month,, 
 1672, Friends paying as a premium. A 
 widow in the baking trade at Coventry, takes 
 Joseph Cockbill, of Birmingham, as ap- 
 prentice, with a premium of £6, in the same 
 year." 
 
 1679 "it is agreed that Thomas Bryan and William Harper 
 should CO to London to the General Meeting." 
 
 This is the first record of representatives to 
 the Yearly Meeting. 
 
 Another curious minute in 1682 is recorded 
 as follows : — 
 
 ' ' We, hearing how the marriage of John Greenwood and 
 Ann Jackson is intended, Friends here at the Quarterly- 
 Meeting did freely consider their proceedings, and had not at 
 all any unity with them, " 
 
 1685, it is agreed at the Quarterly Meeting held at Birming- 
 ham, *' that John Hands doth attend the Yearly Meeting at 
 London, if the Lord permit him to go, it being his free offer 
 so to do."* 
 
 1696. " Whereas Joseph Beasley hath proposed to have 
 a meeting at Henley and likewise a place to be bought for a 
 meeting-house and burial ground ; ordered that the said 
 
 * " The Spring Quarter Meeting hath ever been held at Birmingham."^ 
 — Warwickshire Minutes. 
 
58 Friends in Wat wicks hire. 
 
 Joseph Beasley and Francis Flower do inquire for such a 
 place. " 
 
 1698. '* It is agreed that there shall be a general meeting 
 of Friends in the ministry the. day before the Quarterly 
 Meeting at Warwick." 
 
 " 1698. *' There was a proposal made by Badgley Friends 
 on behalf of Daniel Harris to have some money raised towards 
 paying his debts, and to set him up : which was referred to 
 be considered by every meeting in the county for a con- 
 currence of all Friends. " 
 
 1698. "John Hawkesford and Jonathan Freeth hath 
 declared their intentions of going to the Yearly Meeting." 
 
 1699. "It is ordered that there be a collection for John 
 Bush in each meeting in the county towards his loss by fire, 
 which he says was one hundred and ten pounds." 
 
 1 700. ' ' This meeting appoints the meeting for ministering 
 Friends to be held at Coventry the day before the Quarter 
 Meeting, appointed as before in the evening, and a public 
 meeting being on the same day at the tenth hour as usually, "* 
 
 1700. "Samuel Overton, John Hands, Samuel Baylis, 
 and John Pemberton, offer to go to the Yearly Meeting if 
 nothing material fall out to prevent them ; and are to con- 
 clude among themselves which two are to be representatives 
 K)f the county." 
 
 1700. " The several meetings being called over, the repre- 
 sentatives gave an account that Friends in each meeting were 
 generally in love and unity with each other and kept their 
 first-day and week-day meetings duly, and that their poor 
 were duly provided for, but had nothing to communicate 
 particularly to this meeting. " 
 
 " It's desired that Friends that appear at the Quarterly 
 Meetings may attend close to the business of the meeting, 
 and not separate until the business is over, neither to dis- 
 
 * These public meetings in connection with the Quarterly Meetings were 
 Iheld for many subsequent years. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 59 
 
 course of any particular business not belonging to the meeting. 
 Friends are desired to take notice of this. " 
 
 The first record of the answers to the 
 queries occurs in 1702 arui is called " The 
 Account for the Yearly Meeting," as follows : 
 
 1. John Ashley, present prisoner.* 
 
 2. None discharged [from prison,] 
 
 3. None died in prison. 
 
 4. No public friend died. 
 
 5. No new meeting-house built or new meeting settled. + 
 
 6. Truth prospers. Friends generally in unity, &c. 
 
 7. No signal jugment on persecutors. 
 
 1703. "It is unanimously agreed at this meeting that if 
 there be any person that is not in unity with Friends that 
 they be not allowed to be present either at your Monthly or 
 Quarterly Meetings of business or give to the collection for 
 Ihe maintenance of the poor or Friends' affairs." 
 
 The fifth query reports in 1704, "A new 
 meeting-house at Birmingham, one at Harts- 
 hill, another at Radway." 
 
 1 704. * ' Having observed some slackness in attending the 
 week day meetings, in tender love and care for the propaga- 
 tion of the truth, this meeting hath thought it meet to advise 
 that at least one person of a family attends their week day 
 meetings, and an account to be given to the next Quarterly 
 Meeting how this advice is put in practice. 
 
 "This meeting unanimously consents to assist Friends of 
 Harborrow [Harbury] in building a meeting-house, they 
 •supposing that what they have within themselves, they may 
 
 * 1702. " Its agreed heare at this time that the' be care taken that John 
 Ashley be removd to London by ahis scorptis in hopes that he may be 
 dischargd from his imprisonment and that the whole charg of the busnes 
 is to be payd by the whole county." 
 
 ■t 1703. " A new meeting settled at Bedworth." 
 
6o Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 want about £i6^ or ^{^15 to complete their said intended 
 meeting-house." 
 
 1704. "Stratford meeting having no collection, Wm. 
 Harris is appointed to advise them in their duty in this case." 
 
 Some trouble was given to the Society 
 at this period by pretended preachers who 
 travelled from place to place partaking 
 of the hospitality of its members, while they 
 were often of dissolute life, bringing Friends 
 and their principles into undeserved reproach. 
 Such an instance occurred in 1706, when the 
 Quarterly Meeting issued the following paper. 
 
 ** A coppy of a paper given forth against Robert 
 Lawi-ance. " 
 
 "Whereas Robert Lawrance by trade a vi^eaver, of middle 
 stature, v^^ith light brown curld hair, about fifty years of age, 
 formerly an inhabitant of Nuneaton, in the county of War- 
 wick, but frequently roving about from place to place pre- 
 tending to be a Quaker and a public preacher among them. 
 
 " These are to certifie all persons to whom he may come 
 that he is of a bad life and a wicked conversation, having 
 committed many dishonest and disorderly practices, and the 
 same being proved against him at our Quarterly Meeting we 
 have found it necessary for the clearing of truth to disown 
 him and to give forth this paper against him from this 
 Quarterly Meeting at Coventry ye 25 of ye 7 month, 1706. 
 Signed, Andrew Roberts, Wm. Cockbill, Jno, King, jun., 
 Joseph Freeth, sen., Joshua Sergeant, Richard Evetts." 
 
 1706. "This meeting orders the Friends here present 
 belonging to the several meetings in this county to consult 
 with Friends of their respective meetings to bring in to the 
 next Quarter Meeting as ample an account as may be, by 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 6 1 
 
 ■whom their meetings were first settled and the Friends that 
 first declared truth to them with all other circumstances 
 necessary." 
 
 It is much to be regretted that only two 
 brief records remain as the result of this 
 inquiry ; one referring to Baddesley meeting 
 is on a small scrap of paper, affixed to a leaf 
 of the Quarterly Meeting book, and is as 
 follows : — 
 
 "Margery Fret well, which was Anthony Brickley's 
 -daughter gave an account that Richard Famsworth of 
 Tickhill in Yorkshire was the first friend that did declare 
 the truth at Badgley Ensor in the yeare of 1654 ; and he was 
 entertained for severall weeks theare and he visited severall 
 other places while he was theare." 
 
 The other record is in the Minutes of War- 
 wick meeting, and states, "that Richard 
 Hubberthorne did largely declare the blessed 
 truth of Christ in Warwick, Coventry, Kenil- 
 worth, Alcester, and Stratford, and other 
 places, by the space of one month, in 1660, 
 and did gather many to the truth." 
 
 1 710. "Ordered that Andrew Roberts do take care to 
 dispose of the 20 shillings he hath received out of the 
 Quarterly Meeting stock towards the relief of Wm, Cleever 
 of Little Harbury ; and that he inquire of the said Wm. 
 Cleever what meeting he judges himself to belong to." 
 
 The first proposal to hold Circular Meetings 
 is recorded in 171 1. 
 
 1 71 1. "Concerning the proposal for a Yearly Meeting to 
 Le held for this county with several counties adjacent it i? 
 
62 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 the sense of this meeting that the several monthly meetings 
 ought to be consulted how it may be settled to their general 
 satisfaction." 
 
 1 712. "This meeting made choice of Andrew Roberts and 
 John Hands to go to Fullford Heath to advise Friends to- 
 keep up their week day meeting. 
 
 The following were adopted in 17 12 as 
 advices to be read in every Quarterly Meeting,, 
 in consequence of some little disorder which 
 had arisen, and the queries appended were 
 those answered from the Monthly to the 
 Quarterly Meetings. 
 
 ADVICE. 
 
 ** 1st. — That all Friends that come Representatives for the 
 service of this meeting keep to the business till it be over. 
 
 "2nd. — That no Friends go apart to discourse of other 
 things in the Meeting-house, to the hurt of this meeting. 
 
 " 3rd. — That the representatives of every Meeting see that 
 no disorderly person sit in these meetings of business." 
 
 QUERIES. 
 
 " 1st. — Are Friends in unity in their several meetings ? 
 
 *' 2nd. — Do you endeavour that the members of your 
 meeting be of a blameless conversation, and that they which 
 are not, be dealt with according to Gospel order ? 
 
 *' 3rd. — Are your meetings of worship kept up on first days 
 and week days ; and, do you observe the time appointed in 
 meeting together ; and endeavour to prevent dulness and 
 heaviness in your meetings ? 
 
 ** 4th. — Are your collections kept up ; the poor provided 
 for, and their children kept to learning ; and no collection 
 received from any person that walks disorderly ? 
 
 "5th. — Are Friends advised often to retire to" wait upoa 
 God ; and frequently to read the holy scriptures for the 
 
Friends in Warivickshire. 
 
 63- 
 
 benefit of themselves and their families ; and not to spend 
 their time vainly ; nor in public-houses when there is no 
 occasion ? 
 
 " 6th. — Are Friends advised to keep to truth and justice- 
 in their dealings ; and to plainness of habit and speech ; and 
 to train up their children therein ? 
 
 " 7th, — Do Friends keep clear in their testimonies against 
 tithes and church rates so called ; and keep a true record 
 of their sufferings in their monthly meeting book that they 
 may come in order to the quarterly meeting ? 
 
 "8th. — Doth any person of your meeting travel as a 
 minister that is not in unity with you ; or is any minister 
 dead since the last quarterly meeting ? 
 
 *'9th — Are the dpng sayings of Friends that may be of 
 service, taken an accoimt of? 
 
 ** loth, — Are Friends advised to inspect into their outward 
 affairs ; and to make their wills in time ? 
 
 " iith. — Do you keep a record of your marriages, births, 
 and burials ? 
 
 " 1 2th. — Do you endeavour that Friends know the advices 
 recommended in the yearly meeting's epistles from London ; 
 and are elders* chosen in your meetings, to visit Friends in 
 their families, to see if the said several advices are put in 
 practice ; and to advise and assist them further in any case 
 needful ? 
 
 " 13th. — Doth Truth prosper amongst you ; or is any 
 lately convinced, so as to assemble with you. 
 
 *' 14th. — Have you anything to offer from your Monthly 
 Meeting?" 
 
 1 7 10. "Long Compton monthly meeting proposed to set 
 a lad to 'prentice ; this meeting agreed for them to make 
 
 * Overseers ? 
 
€4 Fiiends in Warwickshire. 
 
 trial, and as the case requires, the Quarterly meeting is willing 
 to be assistant to them. " 
 
 1 713. " Gave Long Compton Monthly Meeting towards 
 putting Richard Harwood 'prentice, £\.'''' 
 
 1 71 3. "It is referred to the consideration of Friends at 
 Fullford Heath whether they will join with Birmingham 
 Monthly Meeting. " 
 
 1 7 14. *' The next Quarterly Meeting to be at Radway on 
 the 2nd day of the week next before Quarter day and begin 
 immediately upon business at the loth hour, and when 
 business is finished to have a time of retirement together 
 •except at the meeting for the summer quarter, at which it is 
 agreed that Friends withdraw when business is over and 
 meet again for worship precisely at the 3rd hour afternoon." 
 
 By the following minute the small monthly- 
 meeting of Fullford Heath and Henley be- 
 came part of that of Warwickshire North. 
 The county thus comprised for more than one 
 hundred and twenty years the three Monthly 
 Meetings, North, Middle, and South, until the 
 dissolution of the Middle Monthly Meeting, 
 in 1837. 
 
 1 7 1 5. " The minute of Fullford Heath and Henley joining 
 with Birmingham Monthly Meeting being referred to this 
 meeting, it is agreed that they join together as one Monthly 
 Meeting." 
 
 1 715. "This meeting agrees that the Friends of each 
 meeting do bring in an account to the next quarterly meeting 
 how and when each monthly meeting falls both for worship 
 and discipline and also what days week day meetings are 
 kept with what time of the day." * 
 
 * See appendix. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 65 
 
 1717. Several minutes at this period refer 
 to " the numerous poor Friends under the 
 care of the Monthly Meetings," and the me- 
 morandums following, chiefly from the Middle 
 Monthly Meeting, will prove the liberality of 
 its members. 
 
 The widow, Siou Moore, * did lay before this meeting her 
 desire of removing from Leamington to Warwick, and 
 Friends seeing nothing against it, will help her as to the costs 
 and have left her to do as she pleaseth concerning it. Friends 
 thinking it may be to her benefit to come to Warwick in 
 order for outward good. 
 
 At this same meeting it was agreed that all the charge that 
 goes out of the Meeting Collection should be discharged 
 every preparative meeting, and that everybody that payeth to 
 the collection for the poor shall pay their proportion publicly 
 in the preparative meeting, and also the disbursements. 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 Friends collected for Widow Marrit when 
 
 she went to London .... 5 o o 
 
 For Jeremiah Robinson 310 o 
 
 For Samuel Harris (a fire) 17 10 o 
 
 William Smith, when he went beyond sea ... 20 o o 
 Widow Lancaster's children, v.hen they 
 
 went beyond sea 12 10 o 
 
 For James Biggs, clothes and shoes 2 o o 
 
 Ordered by this meeting that if our monthly collection for 
 the poor and other uses, do not defray our ordinary expenses 
 then that we shalhadvance a month's pay, or double month's 
 pay, so as to make up the collection sufficient to ansAver our 
 common expenses. 
 
 * A Minister. 
 
 F 
 
66 Ffiends m Warwickshire. 
 
 William Cockbiil, Tobias Edwards, and Samuel White- 
 head, by and with the consent of this meeting, have each 
 man laid down or lent unto Richard Coles, of Banbury, the 
 sum of four pounds apiece, being twelve pounds in all, to be 
 paid by the said Richard Coles at the end of two years, or 
 less time, with reasonable interest. If the man that 
 borrows miscarry, the Quarterly jMeeting hath promised to 
 help in this case, 
 
 1720. Answers to the Yearly Meeting 
 Queries : — 
 
 1. — No friend in prison, 
 
 2. — No friend discharged from prison. 
 
 3. — One friend died a prisoner, Tobias Edwards,* 
 
 4. — One public friend dead, viz., Tobias Edwards. 
 
 5. — No new meeting house built or meeting settled. 
 
 6. — We hope truth prospers in the main and friends 
 generally are in unity. 
 
 7 . — Care is taken to put in practice the advice from the 
 yearly meeting. 
 
 1722. It was laid before this meeting that Friends 
 belonging to Birmingham Meeting should bring in next 
 Monthly Meeting an account of the behaviour and conver- 
 sation of Elizabeth Hewson, in order for a certificate for the 
 satisfaction of Friends in Worcester. 
 
 1725. According to the agi-eement of the last Quarterly 
 Meeting answers to the Queries were brought from some of 
 the particular meetings in writing and Avhere it is neglected 
 it is desired to be more duly observed for the future. 
 
 1729. The Middle Monthly Meeting not having yet 
 appointed persons to assist young ministers that minute 
 relating to the same still remains, 
 
 * Imprisoned for non-payment of tithes to the impropriator. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 67 
 
 1729. Samuel Overton, son of Samuel Overton, of 
 Grovefield, in the parish of Hampton Lucy, in the county of 
 Warwick, acquainted this meeting of his intention of going 
 a trafficking voyage to New England, and desired a certifi- 
 cate from this meeting in order thereto. This meeting 
 appoints William Berry and Samuel Whitehead to make 
 enquiry into the clearness ot the said Samuel respecting his 
 conversation and marriage. 
 
 1730. Extract from the answers to the 
 Queries for the Yearly Meeting : — 
 
 6. — According to the accounts brought to this meeting 
 in respect to the prosperity of truth, %ve hope Friends prosper 
 in the truth, and there is a great 'openness in many places to 
 hear the truth declared. There is a care in most Friends to 
 obser\-e the advices of the yearly meeting in relation to the 
 education of their children in the way of truth. 
 
 8. — Most Friends are careful to keep up their testimony 
 against tythes and church rates, so called. 
 
 9. — Our poor are provided for by us, and their children 
 kept to learning. 
 
 1731. This meeting having taken into consideration the 
 necessitous case of the Friends at Coventry laid before it 
 with respect to their overcharge of their poor, therefore this 
 meeting orders the cash keeper to pay into the hands of 
 Joseph Freeth the sum of five pounds for the said occasion. 
 
 The following minute of the North IMonthly 
 Meeting probably indicates that preparative 
 meetings having fallen into disuse, were now 
 revived. 
 
 1 73 1. This Monthly Meeting agreeth that Friends of 
 each meeting, do meet some time before the Monthly 
 Meeting to consider what is to come before it, that it may 
 come the more regularly there. 
 
68 Friends in Wafzvickshire. 
 
 A minute of the North Monthly Meeting 
 respecting elders. 
 
 1727. The minute from the Quarterly Meeting was 
 read in this meeting, and pursuant to the advice there recom- 
 mended this meeting appoints Nathaniel Newton and Allen 
 Hewson tenderly to encourage and help young ministers, &c. 
 
 After 1730 no new meeting was settled 
 in the county, except at Atherstone, Balsall 
 Street, and Berkswell, and these were always 
 small ; and probably this is the period when 
 some decline in the number of the members 
 in this district commenced, as after the early 
 zeal of the Society had passed away, and the 
 first and second generations of Friends had 
 mostly gone to their rest, their successors 
 exhibited less zeal for the truth. 
 
 One passes with regret from the early days, 
 to those which too surely give evidence of 
 decline. This decline, hov\^ever, in the Society 
 of Friends was not confined to themselves : 
 amongst most religious professors a few years 
 before the days of the Wesleys, a wide de- 
 parture from their former zeal was apparent, 
 and perhaps at no other period had the 
 nation fallen lower in morals, m.anners, and 
 taste, as during the reign of Anne and 
 the first and second Georges. The old puri- 
 tans had passed away, and the comparative 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 69 
 
 freedom from persecution which noncon- 
 formists enjoyed was not favorable to spiritual 
 growth ; we therefore find persecutors and per- 
 secuted alike settling down into a lethargic 
 state, while drunkenness and licentiousness 
 everywhere increased, together with a rudeness 
 and lawlessness, almost incredible. 
 
 From 1730 to the end of the eighteenth 
 century, are be found the record of many 
 disownments from the society in Warwick- 
 shire ; and while some of these were for gross 
 departures from the moral law, and for exces- 
 sive drinking and its attendant vices, a large 
 proportion were for " marrying out " of the 
 society. 
 
 Some of the testimonies of disownment 
 show, however, the patience of Friends with 
 offenders, as well as their earnest desires for 
 their restoration to unity with the body. The 
 following bears the date of 173 1. 
 
 " Whereas, Thomas Upton, of Radford, who was brought 
 up in the truth among the people called Quakers, but not 
 giving heed to the Lord's witness in his heart nor to the often 
 repeated counsels of his friends, hath fallen into excessive 
 drinking, and keeping of evil company, and using ill words. 
 He hath often promised amendment, but his life hath not 
 agreed thereto, and according to Christ's rule he hath been 
 told his fault alone ; it hath been told next to the Church, and 
 we after long patience do disown him and his ways, until by 
 
70 Friends in Warzvickshire. 
 
 true repentance and amendment of life he be restored to unity 
 again, and this is what we heartily desire. " 
 
 1731- Joseph Ludford appeared at this meeting, and 
 signified that he was very sorry for his former disorders, 
 and hoped to be more careful for the future, upon which 
 Friends, in tender love, with desires for his amendment, 
 gave him good advice, and refer the matter to the next 
 Monthly Meeting where he is desired to appear. 
 
 The following certificate on behalf of a 
 a minister of Birmingham Meeting is noticable 
 for its brevity : — 
 
 1733. Qur friend, Luke Breedon, acquainted this 
 Meeting with his intention to visit Kent, Essex, and else- 
 where ; these, therefore, may certify that he is in unity with 
 us here, and an approved minister among us. 
 
 Signed in and on behalf of the said meeting, held at 
 Birmingham, this iith, 5 month, 1733. 
 
 Jonathan Freeth, 
 (and others). 
 
 1734. Luke Breedon returned the certificate granted him 
 some months ago, and gave a comfortable account of the 
 satisfaction he had in his travels. 
 
 1734. Several Meetings in the county, especially Bir- 
 mingham, being still omissive, notwithstanding the repeated 
 desires of this meeting to appoint Friends [Overseers] to 
 visit families, pursuant to the Yearly Meeting's advice, 
 therefore they are once more requested to appoint such, or 
 give their reason why, at the next Quarterly Meetiug. 
 
 1735. It is concluded that the next Quarterly Meeting be 
 held as follows : — A meeting for worship to be held on 
 Second-day morning, and the afternoon of Second-day set 
 apart for business, and on Third-day morning a partmg 
 meeting fo^r worship, and that there be a meeting of 
 ministers and elders at each place at seven o'clock on 
 Second-day morning. 
 
Friends i7i Warwickshire. yi 
 
 1736. The minute about persons to visit Friends' families 
 is not yet answered, some of the Meeting's replies are that 
 they are not furnished with such as are willing to accept of 
 that service. 
 
 1 741. The Circular Meeting was appointed 
 to be held this year at Atherstone ; a collec- 
 tion amounting to i8s. was made in the 
 various meetings to defray the expenses. 
 
 The meeting place was commodiously fitted 
 with a large booth, and the meetings held 
 there generally satisfactory to Friends." 
 
 1743 Certificates of removal were not at 
 this time, nor for a long period subsequently, 
 drawn up in one unvarying form as at present, 
 as will be seen by the copies which follow. 
 
 " This meeting granted a certificate to Susanna Summerland 
 upon' account of her removal to London, a copy of which 
 follows : " 
 
 To Frieiids in or near London whom it may co7icern. 
 
 Dear Friends, — Whereas Susanna Summerland, daughter 
 of Samuel and Lydia Summerland, of Birmingham, is lately 
 removed from us, to inhabit with you. Now these may 
 certifie you, that upon due enquiry made upon that occasion 
 we don't find but that she is sober and orderly in life and 
 conversation, according to answers received from places 
 where she has lived, so with desires for her welfare, we re- 
 commend her to your notice, as a person in unity with us, 
 and conclude with the salutation of dear love, your Friends. 
 
 Signed in and on behalf of our Monthly Meeting, held 
 at Birmingham ye iith 3 mo., 1743, by Henry Bradford, 
 
72 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 John Bradford, Sampson Lloyd, Abraham Freeth, John 
 Williams, Daniel Lythall, Francis Howell, William Lucas, 
 Jonathan Freeth, John Summerland, Nat. Whitehead, Wm. 
 Reynolds, Sam. Bradford, John Freeth, Elizabeth Bradford, 
 Sarah Gopsill, Margaret Freeth, Elizabeth Jones, Rebecca 
 Newton, Rebecca Summerland, Susannah Morris, Ann 
 Reynolds, Elizabeth Bradford, jun. 
 
 To the Middle Monthly Meeting iii the County of Warwick. 
 
 Dear Friends, — Whereas our antient friend, Charles 
 Lloyd, is removed from Birmingham to inhabit withm the 
 compass of your Monthly Meeting. These may certifie you 
 that we received a certificate from Friends at their Quarterly 
 Meeting at Salop, signifying they had received him into unity 
 and fellowship, and as such recommended him unto us, and 
 during the time of his residence with us his life and conver- 
 sation was meek, innocent, and inoffensive, with that plain- 
 ness, self-denyal, and moderation, as is agreeable to our 
 Christian profession, so with desires he may finish well, and 
 lay down his head in peace with the Lord, we conclude with 
 the salutation of dear love, your Friends and Brethren. 
 
 Signed in and on behalf of our Monthly Meeting, held at 
 Birmingham the iith 5 mo., 1744, by Jno. Evans, John 
 Summerland, William Reynolds, Elias Wakelam, Henry 
 Bradford, John Bradford, Sampson Lloyd, Samuel Lythall, 
 Edward Jones, Gregory Goodall, John Williams, Isaac 
 Whitehead." 
 
 From 1740 to 1750 a large number of 
 the most esteemed ministers of various 
 meetings in the county, departed this hfe, 
 and as but few came forward in gospel labour, 
 their ranks were greatly reduced during the 
 latter part of the century. In a succeeding 
 chapter notices of some of these will be given. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 73 
 
 1749. The following "acknowledgment" 
 from one who had " turned his back on the 
 truth and Friends," bears evidence of the 
 christian care taken for his restoration. 
 
 To Friends at their Monthly Aleeting for the sei-vice of truth 
 at Warwick, greetifig : — 
 
 Dear Friends, 
 
 Through the great and wonderful loving kindness 
 and tender mercies of the Most High, who willeth not the 
 death of a sinner, am I made sensible of my misconduct, 
 outgoings, and great and repeated transgressions, by which 
 I have offended a most gracious, merciful, and just Creator, 
 and have done many things contrary to His holy will, and 
 the blessed truth, which have not only been a heavy burthen 
 and affliction to myself, but a great uneasiness and gi-ief to 
 many tender hearted Friends ; in a humble sense of which I 
 am heartily sorry for what is past, and hope, by divine 
 assistance, to behave myself in the future as to be brought 
 into unity with the Society, which is the sincere and hearty 
 desire of your loving and ^ afflicted friend, — S. H. 
 
 20th Q mo., 1749. 
 
 In 1750 the South Monthly Meeting is 
 spoken of as " oppressed with poor," and a 
 contribution from the Quarterly Meeting fund 
 is granted for their relief In the same year 
 a meeting-house was built at Berkswell, near 
 Coventr}^ 
 
 The following is a case of somev/hat 
 summary disownment : — 
 
 1 75 1. The Friends of Warwick have drawn up a testi- 
 mony against divers persons that have walked disorderly, 
 •which was here read and approved, and is as follows :— 
 
74 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 Whereas Jno. Lancaster and his wife, Samuel King, 
 George Harris, jun., Sarah Vicars and Richard Vicars, have 
 been guilty of misconduct, and broke the good order and 
 discipline amongst Friends, this meeting bears testimony 
 against them, and disowns them as members of our Society. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 Dec!en;!on of Spiritual life — Women's Meetings — Weelr-day 
 Meetings— Riot in" Birmingham — Schools — Yearly Meeting's Committee — 
 Low state of South Monthly Meeting- Increased Stringency of Rules — 
 Deficiencies in answers to queries — ileetings closed at Berkswell, 
 Harbury, Balsall Street, and Henley — Junction of Warwickshire with 
 Leicestershire Quarterly Meeting — Fewness of Ministers at the end of the 
 Century-. 
 
 CONXURRENT with the diminution of the 
 number of faithful gospel labourers in 
 Warwickshire, many evidences can be found 
 of a great declension in spiritual life and 
 Christian zeal amongst Friends, after the 
 middle of the eighteenth century ; some of 
 these are already referred to, but others 
 remain to be noticed. With the reduced 
 number of ministers, and the indifterence of 
 many meetings to the appointment of elders, 
 the Quarterly Meeting of ministers and elders 
 had fallen into disuse in Warwickshire, so 
 that in 1753 the Quarterly Meeting recom- 
 mends that the meeting of ministers and 
 elders "be held the evening preceding the 
 Quarterly Meeting, at such hour and place as 
 Friends shall think most proper."* 
 
 * " One or more ciders appeared from each Monthly Meeting, together 
 with the ministers. Only one meeting was prepared with answers in writing 
 [to the queries]. — Quarterly Meeting, 1755. 
 
76 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 In 1756, in consequence of the state of the 
 ministry among Friends claiming the atten- 
 tion of Yearly Meeting, the following appoint- 
 ment was made in reference to it. 
 
 We appoint Sampson Lloyd and John Willis, or one of 
 them, to attend the meeting of ministers in London, at the 
 ensuing Yearly Meeting, who are desired to answer such 
 questions as may be proposed to them concerning the state 
 of the ministry in our county. And by the accounts brought 
 to this meeting it appears that none travel as a minister who 
 are not in unity with us ; and we believe that ministers are 
 generally in unity one with another, and with faithful 
 Friends. 
 
 In many parts of the kingdom the 
 "Women's Meetings," had almost fallen into 
 disuse, but they appear to have been held 
 regularly in this county, and form a favor- 
 able feature amidst much declension in other 
 particulars. The state of Women's meetings 
 was brought before the Yearly Meeting in 
 1754, and in the following year a report was 
 sent up to London as to the condition of 
 these meetings in Warwickshire, a portion of 
 which follows : — 
 
 " We have three Women's Monthly Meetings in general 
 well attended, except when the meetings are held in country 
 places, in which case they are usually small. The said 
 Monthly Meetings of women have, by long experience, been 
 found singularly useful, and will undoubtedly continue to be 
 so, if maintained in the power and wisdom of God. They 
 have an opportunity of giving suitable advice to their own 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 77 
 
 sex, and to inquire into, and relieve the necessities of the poor 
 and to collect money for that and other purposes, such as 
 schooling for poor children, and contributing to the stock ol 
 the Quarterly Meeting. Two women Friends are appointed 
 from each Monthly Meeting to attend the Quarterly Meeting, 
 of whom enquiry is made of the state of the meetings ; how 
 First-day and week day meetings are kept up, and how the 
 poor are taken care of, and advice administered as required. 
 
 In addition, there is a report of the week 
 day meetings held in the county ; at Bir- 
 mingham there were "two week day meetings, 
 that on Fourth-day indifferent well attended, 
 that on Sixth-day small." Baddesley and 
 Hartshill " united in a week day meeting, 
 which was well attended." At Wigginshill 
 the number of members is said to be "very 
 small." " At Henley no week day meeting. 
 At Coventry the week day meeting poorly 
 attended, and Warwick but slenderly at- 
 tended, at Balsal Street as well as can be 
 expected, and at Harbur}^ no week day 
 meeting." About this time it is reported that 
 " there are two boarding schools in the two 
 meetings ; one at Hartshill for teaching 
 English, v/riting, and accounts, and another at 
 Coventry for teaching Latin, writing, and 
 accounts." 
 
 1759. A riot occurring in Birmingham in 
 consequence of Friends refusing to illuminate 
 
78 
 
 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 on a thanksgiving day, appointed to celebrate 
 the taking of Canada from the French, several 
 friends had their windows broken and other 
 property destroyed. Among the sufferers 
 were Thomas Robinson, Samuel Baker, John 
 Smith, and John Evans, the latter Friend 
 having one hundred and fifteen squares of 
 glass broken. A collection amounting to 
 £i/\. 3s. Qd. was made in the Quarterly 
 Meeting, on behalf of the sufferers. 
 
 1760. The subject of schools for Friends' 
 children was discussed in the Quarterly and 
 Monthly Meetings this year, and some evi- 
 dence is given which proves that the children 
 of this generation were, especially in the 
 country places, not so carefully or religiously 
 educated, as in the early part of the century. 
 
 1761. A Committee of the Yearly Meeting 
 visited this Quarterly Meeting. They com- 
 plain of " a declension in love and zeal, and 
 that the communications in the ministry of 
 some are not so acceptable to Friends as could 
 be desired. That harmonious labour seems 
 neglected, there being a folding up of *the 
 hands to rest. That where two meetings are 
 held in the day, the morning meetings are 
 thin, and the time not duly kept to, and that 
 drowsiness is too prevalent, owing to an indo- 
 
Frimds in War wicks J lire, yg 
 
 lent state of mind, void of that fervency which 
 ahvays attends the worship of God in spirit 
 and in truth. In several places week day 
 meetings are neglected altogether, and where 
 held, not duly attended." Great deficiency is 
 also remarked in the attendance of meetings 
 for discipline, and obviously in the education 
 of children, and the parents, by example and 
 precept, neglect to train them up in plainness 
 of speech, behaviour, and apparel. All are 
 not clear of frequenting vain sports and diver- 
 sions and gaming, nor from intemperance. In 
 some places, too, some have entered into sub- 
 scriptions for substitutes for the militia, and 
 such misconduct has not been condemned." 
 One meeting was " in a state of disagreement 
 with another." " The committee conclude with 
 an earnest desire that Friends may be led to 
 a true sight of the low state of things, and not 
 only mourn, but come into the Lord's vine- 
 yard and work, for the faithful labourers were 
 few, and many minding their own things and 
 not the things of the Lord." 
 
 This is indeed a melancholy picture. How 
 different had the state of this Quarterly Meet- 
 ing become from the days of the faithful John 
 Hands and Samuel Overton, in Warwick ; of 
 William Hodges, John Freeth, and Ann 
 
8o Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 Scotton, at Coventry ; and Luke Breedon, 
 Joshua Sargeant, and Jonathan Freeth, in Bir- 
 mingham ; and when every meeting in the 
 county, large and small, had its earnest and 
 laborious ministers. Now the only substi- 
 tute for this bright activity and aggressive 
 zeal was an enlargement of the body of elders 
 and the increased stringency of the rules of 
 discipline, while much of the time of monthly 
 meetings was taken up with correspondence 
 and appeals relating to the law of settlement, 
 as regarded poor Friends. 
 
 Owing to a remissness noticed in the Quar- 
 terly Meeting in 1761, as to "Friends not 
 duly attending their Monthly and Quarterly 
 Meetings," some advice appears to have been 
 given to all meetings in the county, but the 
 case of the South Monthly Meeting expressly 
 claimed the consideration of Friends, as will 
 be' seen by the following minute : — 
 
 To the Friends of the South Monthly Meeting. 
 " Dear Friends, — There was no Friend attended this meet- 
 ing from two of your meetings ; and apprehending that things 
 are low and weak with you in regard to discipUne, and find- 
 ing a solid concern upon our minds for your growth and 
 prosperity in the truth, we salute you in dear love, and re- 
 commend to you the following observations, whether it would 
 not tend more to edification to hold meetings of worship at 
 Brailes every first-day than once a month? 
 
 And in regard to keeping up the discipline among you, 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 8i 
 
 we think it proper that you hold a preparative meeting once 
 in a month before every monthly meeting, that you may be 
 the better quaUtied to transact the proper affairs of your own 
 meeting, and to choose proper persons to attend the monthly 
 meetings, and to appoint elders, &c. And we earnestly be- 
 seech you to be faithful in your generation, and give up 
 yourselves to be serviceable and do all the good you can, in 
 order to promote truth and righteousness on the earth. . . 
 . . And we recommend further to you the opportunity of 
 holding week-day meetings where none are held, and a diligent 
 attendance. 
 
 " Henry Bradford." 
 
 "We desire George Boone, Sampson Lloyd, jun., John 
 Adkins, and Richard Adkins, to pay the Friends of the South 
 Monthly Meeting a visit before the next quarter, if they hnd 
 freedom, with any other Friends who may find it upon their 
 minds to accompany them." 
 
 1763. Friends in Wanvicksliire appear at 
 this time to be increasingly careful and minute 
 in some matters of regulation and discipline, 
 although, according to the recent Yearly 
 Meeting's committee, sadly deficient in some 
 of the \veightier matters of the law of Christ. 
 Women Friends were giving stringent advice 
 as to particular articles of dress, and from the 
 men's Quarterly Meeting a request is sent to 
 the publisher of Fri.^nds' books in London, " to 
 discontinue putting any books in gilded 
 covers, as hath of late been done." 
 
 1766. The Quarterly Meeting hears with concern m.any 
 deficiencies m ansv>-ering the queries. 
 
 G 
 
82 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 1767. Report is made that the gravestones in some places 
 have been removed, and that very few are now remaining.* 
 
 1775. Dehcieacies still appearing by the answers to the 
 queries in respect to the attendance of meetings, also as to 
 the non-observance of the time appointed, and complaints of 
 drowsiness, which have long been matter of great concern 
 to this Quarterly Meeting : it is recommended to each 
 Monthly Meeting to take the same into their deep considera- 
 tion, in order that some endeavours may be used with those 
 who appear to be remiss, to incite to more diligence and a 
 behaviour more becoming the solemnity of such occasions. 
 
 To the end of the century, from this date, 
 there is httle that is encouraging to record, 
 except the interest that Friends in this county 
 manifested towards the founding of Ackworth 
 School, as evinced by liberal subscriptions. 
 
 The rules of discipline as sustained without 
 much alteration down to a recent time, began 
 to be put in practice about 1770 as to the 
 more marked distinction between members 
 and non-members. The present rules for the 
 recording of ministers came into operation in 
 1773. For more than a hundred years of the 
 Society's history the exercise of the ministry 
 was probably much more free and the minis- 
 ters much more numerous than at any later 
 period. 
 
 The meetings of Berkswell, Harbury, Strat- 
 
 * In 1851 when the bodies were removed from the old burial groundin 
 Monmouth Street, Birmingham, a ftw buried gravestones were found. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 83 
 
 ford, Balsall Street, and Henley, were all dis- 
 continued during the last twenty years of the 
 century, and the Quarterly Meeting of Lei- 
 cester being reduced from six to only one 
 monthly meeting, was joined to Warwickshire 
 in 1790, under the name of the Quarterly 
 Meeting of Warwick, Leicester, and Rutland. 
 No meeting of ministers and elders had been 
 held in Leicestershire for some time pre- 
 viously. 
 
 In 1799 only one — a woman Friend — 
 remained in the station of minister in Bir- 
 mingham Meeting, in the place of the nine in 
 1730, and in the whole county the number 
 had declined to three, instead^ of twenty-five 
 of the seventy years previously. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Union of Meetings. — The North Monthly Meeting. — Some account of 
 Birmingham Meeting — Birmingham in the 17th Century. — First Meeting 
 House.— Various Minutes— Baddesley—Wigginshill — Tamworth — Henley 
 — Fulford Heath— Hartshill—Atherstone—Lapworth. 
 
 K]}t j^ortlj |Hont{)l2 Meeting. 
 
 In 1 7 10 the separate Monthly Meetings held 
 both at Badciesley and Wigginshiil were for 
 mutual streno"th united with Birmingrham, and 
 then first styled the North MontJdy Meeting. 
 To these were added in 17 15 the Meetings of 
 FuUford Heath and Henley ; the Monthly 
 Meeting thus comprising Birmingham, Bad- 
 desley, Wigginshill, Hartshi]!, FuUford Heath, 
 Henley, and Lapworth. 
 
 BIRMINGHAM MEETING. 
 
 Except in the very earliest days, the Meeting 
 at Birmingham has always been the largest 
 in this division of the county ; down to the 
 year 1700, the Meeting at Baddesley probably 
 outnumbered it. In 1697 so few Friends 
 resided in the town that the Monthly Meeting 
 directed that, " Friends travelling in the 
 
Friends in U ncksJiire. 
 
 S5 
 
 ministry shall be taken to an inn, and their 
 charges defrayed by the Monthly Meeting." 
 
 It may be assumed that Richard Farnsworth, 
 who visited Birmingham in 1654, was the first 
 Friend " who declared the truth there ;" v/hile 
 in the year following, George Fox records on 
 his visiting the town, " that several were con- 
 verted and turned to the Lord." This was 
 doubtless the origin of the Friends' Meeting in 
 this great midland metropolis. 
 
 How different, however, was the Birming- 
 ham of the days of Oliver Cromwell's Pro- 
 tectorate to that of the nineteenth century, 
 and of the reign of Queen Victoria. In the 
 middle of the seventeenth century it was not 
 of sufficient importance to be allowed the 
 privilege of sending a member to Oliver's 
 parliamicnt ; and lying off the main road 
 leading from London to Chester, directions 
 were given to travellers visiting the town to 
 "turn at Coleshill." No vast manufactories, 
 tall chimnies, or busy streets, denoted the 
 place as one of the greatest centres of industry 
 in the British empire. But, on the contrary, 
 except some rude manufactures of iron, and, 
 as Leland says, " a few loriners who make bits 
 for horses, and a few nail makers and smiths," 
 who chiefly dwelt between Deritend bridge 
 
86 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 and the old church, Birmingham was little 
 more than a country village, scarcely known 
 beyond the neighbouring towns. Its inhabit- 
 ants at this period, in their wildest dreams, 
 little imagining that before two centuries had 
 passed away, Birmingham with its 400,000 
 inhabitants would rank high among the great 
 towns of the empire, or that its varied manu- 
 factures would be found in almost every part 
 of the world. 
 
 The oldest place of meeting, in Monmouth 
 Street, as well as its successor in Bull Street, 
 were closely adjoining the site of an ancient 
 priory, a " small religious house " which occu- 
 pied the spot before the reformation, and 
 whose existence might have been forgotten, 
 did not the name of an adjoining street call it 
 to remembrance.* 
 
 The busy thoroughfare so long indentified 
 with the " Quaker's Meeting House," was then 
 a sandy lane outside the town, and it needs 
 but little imagination to picture a landscape, 
 as viewed from its vicinity, not unlike, or in- 
 ferior in beauty to that to be seen in close 
 proximity to the little country meeting house 
 
 * The modem "religious house," (the Priory school,) on or near the same 
 site, is most likely doing as much for the general and religious good of the 
 public of the nineteenth century, as ever its predecessor did in its palmiest 
 days. 
 
Friends in Warzvick shire. 
 
 8- 
 
 at Hartshill. Looking north, the hill would 
 slope away in gentle undulations to Hockley 
 woods ; its brook flowing in freshness and 
 purity, and widening into a considerable sheet 
 of water, called Hockley pool. The gables 
 and ' roofs of the newly-erected Aston Hall 
 would be seen with the church spire a little 
 more to the right, and behind would rise, 
 beyond the windings of the Tame, the 
 " gravelly hill," and the bare and bleak heath 
 on which Erdington now stands, and known as 
 the Coldfield ; while the background would be 
 filled up by the tower of Sutton church, the 
 woods of its spacious park, and the long- 
 backed eminence of Barr Beacon. Looking due 
 east, the most distant objects were the Meri- 
 den hills, half way to Coventr\', and nearer, 
 the gentle eminences crowned by the semi- 
 casteliated mansion of Castle Bromwich ; and 
 in the foreground the valleys of the Rea and 
 Tame, "the way to Coleshill," now Coleshill 
 Street, and the shady trees of the " Dale End.'* 
 South-west and south, would be seen portions 
 of the upper part of the town, the spire of St 
 Martin's, and rising above the trees of the 
 cherr\' orchard, the homely turret crowning 
 the roof of King Edward's School, which had 
 been founded then upwards of a hundred 
 
88 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 years, but which still stood on the edge of the 
 town.* The woods of Bordesley park, over- 
 looked by the suburban Park Street, and 
 bounded by the quaint gabled houses of " Deer- 
 gate-end," would complete the picture. 
 
 But few regular meeting houses were built 
 previously to the passing of the toleration 
 act, in 1689, and none existed in Warwick- 
 shire until after that time. 
 
 The house of William Reynolds, as men- 
 tioned in a former chapter, must have been 
 one of the earliest places of meeting for 
 Birmingham Friends, the first notice of whom 
 is to be found in Besse's Snffej'ijigs, as follows : 
 " 1659, William Heath had his goods taken 
 for tithes," and in the following year it is 
 stated that " Daniel Baker kept a meeting in 
 William Baylis' house, and John Cotterill, the 
 constable, and one of the high sheriff s 
 servants, came with a rude multitude, and 
 took Friends out of the house, and some were 
 much beaten and bruised, the constable giving 
 encouragement thereto." 
 
 The original meeting house, in Monmouth 
 Street — probably not built especially for the 
 purpose — needed frequent repair. It became 
 
 * The "New Church," as it was called, (St. Philip's,) was not built for 
 some years after the time we are speaking of. 
 
Friends in WarivicksJiire. 89 
 
 so dilapidated that in 1703 a nevr meeting 
 house was erected in Bull Street, within a 
 stone's throw of the old one. This building 
 was, during the eighteenth centur}-, subjected 
 to several enlargements, various alterations 
 being made, down to the period of its removal 
 in 1857, in which year the present spacious 
 meeting house was opened. 
 
 The following minutes contain the only 
 details to be found relating to these two 
 meeting houses. 
 
 1702. Friends are desired by this Meeting to come to- 
 gether next Fourth-day to consult about building a meeting 
 house. 
 
 1702. Abraham Heath, Jonathan Freeth, Thomas Ronc, 
 and Sampson Lloyd, are appointed to see what Friends that 
 have not subscribed, are willing to give toward building the 
 meeting house, and to collect the whole. This meeting 
 allows two-and-sixpence for the carpenters now at work in 
 the meeting house. 
 
 1702. This Meeting orders that the new meeting house 
 walls be wainscotted -with deal boards. 
 
 1703. Jonathan Freeth, jun., and John Hawkesford, are 
 appointed to consult with a workman the charge of putting 
 the [old] meeting house into a dwelling house, and give an 
 account to the next meeting. 
 
 1 704. John Pemberton, and Sampson Lloyd are appointed 
 to view the draught of the settlement of the new meeting 
 house and advise with some lawyer about it. 
 
 1703. The new meeting house was opened 
 about the middle of this year, and no doubt 
 
90 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 at this period the upper end of Bull Street 
 was quite outside the town ; a few scattered 
 buildings at its lower end probably existed. 
 Behind it was a burial ground (that portion 
 now in front of the present meeting house,) 
 which, with that in Monmouth Street, were 
 both used for interments until the middle of 
 the eighteenth century, when the latter ground 
 was no longer used. Early in the present 
 century the plot of land bounded on two sides 
 by the present meeting house and the Priory 
 school, was purchased for the enlargement of 
 the burial ground * 
 
 The minutes relating to the affairs of Bir- 
 mingham Friends begin with 1693. For some 
 time after this the various meetings in the 
 neighbourhood appear to have acted more 
 independently of each other in matters of 
 discipline and relative to marriage and care of 
 the poor, than at a later period, when the 
 duties of Preparative and Monthly Meetings 
 were more clearly defined. The following, 
 though denominated Monthly Meeting mi- 
 nutes, refer almost exclusively to the affairs 
 
 * An Act of Parliament compelling a sale of the old burial ground, in 
 Monmouth Street, to the Great Western Railway Company, the remains of 
 upwards of 300 interments were removed, and reinterred in the Bull Street 
 burial ground in 1851. The spot was exactly opposite the present Great 
 Western hotel. 
 
Friends in Warzvick shire. 
 
 91 
 
 of Birmingham Friends. The verv- first to be 
 found evinces their care for the poor : — 
 
 1693. After a proposal was made to the meeting for 
 settling a collection towards ye relief of ye poor and defraying 
 other charges relating to the affairs of ye church, it was 
 unanimously agreed unto, and ordered that also those Friends 
 yt are judged fit and willing to contribute towards this col- 
 lection, may have their names wTit down and what they are 
 willing to give monthly inserted in ye next column, and after 
 that twelve other columns for ye orderly setting down each 
 month what is collected. All which money so co lected is 
 ordered to be paid to Abraham Heath, sen., or Thomas Rose, 
 in order yt they may disburse it as the meeting shall direct in 
 ye uses aforesaid. 
 
 1693. The condition of widow Cotterill of King's Norton, 
 is to be considered of until next Monthly Meeting, and then 
 to be relieved as Friends in the mean time shall find her 
 necessities to require. 
 
 1693, Friends are desired to bring in the account of their 
 sufferings to the next Monthly Meeting, and they are also to 
 meet early on ye 1st day before ye Monthly Meeting and yt 
 Friends' yearly paper be read at }-t time, and at ye Monthly 
 Meeting. 
 
 1693. It is ordered that ye Widow Cotterill shall have 
 three shillings and sixpence per week allowed for ye relief of 
 herself and children, until the child is recovered of its sickness 
 or some fiirther care taken of it. 
 
 1694. The case of Hannah Gooldingal being supposed to 
 be necessitous, this meeting doth order Robert Ratherham to 
 take her from this meeting half-a-crown. 
 
 1695. This Meeting doth allow the Widow Cotterill a 
 waggon load of coals, and also appoints Robert Ratherham 
 to bring them for her. 
 
 1695. This meeting having considered the great incon- 
 veniency of the slackness of some Friends in not coming 
 
92 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 in due time to the week days meeting, doth order and appoint 
 that Friends come duly at the lotli hour in the morning. 
 
 Further concluded that hereafter on each first-day we have 
 two meetings, the morning meeting to begin at the 9th hour, 
 and the afternoon meeting to begin at the ist hour, 
 
 1695. For the more conveniency of the management of 
 business that may occur in each meeting, this meeting doth 
 advise, that as there is already a monthly meeting for business 
 settled both at Fullford Heath and Wigginshiil, yet so as 
 they may have recourse to our meeting as they shall hereafter 
 think fit. 
 
 1696. This Meeting hath concluded that the Widow 
 Cotterill's son Joseph shall be put forth apprentice unto 
 Thomas Hawkesford * * * * Also the Meeting 
 doth consent to give with him five pounds, but his master to 
 take him with such clothes as he hath, 
 
 1696, This meeting hath ordered that this Meeting and 
 Fullford Heath be united for one monthly meeting of business, 
 and that the said monthly meeting be kept here at Birming- 
 ham one month, and at Fullford Heath another month, * 
 
 1697. Abraham Heath, sen., and Thos. Rose, are ap- 
 pointed to take care to keep turbulent persons from disturbing 
 this meeting, more especially Richard Wilson, who hath been 
 very troublesome some meetings past. 
 
 1697. Upon consideration of the many travelling Friends 
 who come hither on the Fifth-day of the week, and by ap- 
 pointment have meetings on the Sixth; it is left unto Friends 
 to consider whether it will not be convenient to have a 
 meeting fixt on Sixth-day. 
 
 1697. It was concluded that for the future, there be a 
 meeting duly kept on the Sixth-day of the week, to begin at 
 the tenth hour in the morning. 
 
 1697, This meeting doth order Abraham Heath, the 
 elder, and Richard Chandler, to take notice that Friends 
 
 * This arrangement does not appear lo have been carried out until 1715. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 93 
 
 come in due time both to the First and week-day meetings, 
 and to admonish those that hereafter may come late to the 
 meeting. 
 
 1698. Abraham Heath is appointed to speak next First- 
 day to Friends that they gather to the meetings at the tenth 
 hour as formerly advised. 
 
 1701. John Hawkesford and John Pemberton are ap- 
 pointed by this meeting to advise Widow Brayle to take 
 care to pay Sarah Reynolds, to prevent further trouble, and 
 to give their report to the next meeting. 
 
 1 701. This meeting agrees that John Hunt shall have 
 fourpence per week, and eightpence per week for other 
 necessaries. Joseph Farmer is appointed to go to John Wall 
 / and pay him for what bread he hath had, and give him orders 
 for the future. 
 
 The care of the poor continued to be dili- 
 gently attended to, as both the minutes and 
 cash accounts of the end of the seventeenth 
 and beginning of the eighteenth centuries 
 fully prove. Many of these extracts which 
 follow are of an interesting character, and 
 illustrate some of the customs of the earlier 
 days of the society, as well as affording an 
 idea of the prices of articles of clothing and 
 other matters supplied to poor Friends. 
 
 1694. Paid for a pair of shoes, to Tobias Edwards, for 
 John Hun*^, 3s. 6d. 
 
 Paid for flannel cloth to mend John Hunt's clothes, 4s. 4^ , 
 
 Paid for coal at the quarterly meeting, 4d. 
 
 Paid for a flag besom to sv.-eep the meeting house, 4d. 
 
94 Ffiends in Warwickshire. 
 
 Given to Jno. Steward, of Deritend is. Cutting down 
 weeds and nettles in the burial ground, 6d, 
 
 Paid for writing two notes to Samuel Lay and Abraham 
 Heath, 3d. 
 
 Paid for two Friends' horses for their meat, yd. 
 Paid for horse hire, for Abraham Heath to go to War- 
 wick, 2S. 
 
 Paid for new clothes for John Hunt, his own not ^being 
 decent, i6s. 
 
 Paid to John Muixlock, for hay and oats, for twenty-one 
 *Friends' horses, and shoeing by me, John Rose, los. 5d. 
 
 Paid for the shroud and making grave for John Cotteril, of 
 Balsall Heath — he being a poor man, 3s. lod. 
 
 Paid to a boy that was travelling to Nottingham, to his 
 father, and P'riends ordered me to give him is. 
 
 1695. Set the house in the new row to Thomas Yates, 
 stock lock maker for his son at £'}^ los. 8d. per year. 
 
 Waggon load of coal for widow Cotteril), 14s. 6d. 
 
 To A. Heaton, of Castle Bromwich by order of Friends, 
 and paid in all this year to him to go along with Friends that 
 came to us on truth's account, £1 4s. 6d. 
 
 Horse block at Meeting house, 4s. 
 
 Pair of leather breeches for Edward Marlow, 2s. 
 
 For widow Jeffries' coffin, 5s, 
 
 Isaac Biackham for tending the school boys, three quarters 
 7s. 6d. [in meeting.] Ditto to him for four times bidding t 
 Friends of strangers coming, 2s. 
 
 Pair of stockings for a poor friend, is. 4d. ; two shirts, 
 5s. 4cl. 
 
 Mending windows, is. 4d. 
 One lb. candles, 3d. 
 
 Nursing Widow Ault and making her grave, 5s. 
 Surgeon, for curing E. Marlow's finger, 17s. 6d. 
 Beer at sundry times for travelling Friends, gd. 
 
 * For Friends travelling in the ministry, 
 t Giving notice of public meetings. 
 
Friertds in Warwickshire. 
 
 95 
 
 To John Lewis for coat, waistcoat, and breeches, for 
 Edward Marlow, 1 6s. 
 
 Paid for 52 weeks sweeping the street before the meeting 
 house, Ss. Sd. 
 
 Gave Nathan Heath, for the old folks, 2s. 6d. 
 
 Paid for Benjamina Padley's horse, charges for five nights 
 5s. 8d., and for doctor's stuff she had, 3s., and towards her 
 going to Worcester, she being very poorly, 3s. 
 
 Paid Matthew Cox for setting Richard Francis' daughter's 
 leg, £2. 5s. od. 
 Paid for a quarter's sweepiiig at Meeting Hou^e, 2s. 
 
 The times of holding meetings for worship 
 were frequently changed. In 1703 the First- 
 day morning meeting, was hxed " at half-an- 
 hour after the ninth hour," at ten on Fourth 
 and at two on Sixth-days, and the following 
 minute settled the hour for the afternoon 
 meeting on First-days. 
 
 '* This meeting orders that Friends gather by the first-hour 
 in the afternoon for the conveniency of country Friends, who 
 have made complaint of the inconveniency of the meeting, 
 being continued so late as it is usually. " * 
 
 Scarcely a ^Monthly meeting passed for the 
 first thirty or forty years of the eighteenth 
 century, without a ** proposal of marriage." It 
 was necessary also, that the parties should 
 "appear a second time," before they were left at 
 
 * At this date Friends belonging to Birminghonn, meeting were resident 
 at King's Norton, Solihull, Castle Bromwich, Harboine, Smeihwick, 
 Moseley, Yaidley, Halesowen, Hail Green, and Beech L:uies. 
 
96 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 liberty to accomplish the marriage " according 
 to the good order of truth." In 1704 the 
 following minute was made : 
 
 "This meeting orders that such Friends as hereafter are to 
 be married, sit in the gallery, and there to take each other, as 
 being thought convenient to prevent the usual disorder ! " 
 
 Although the country meetings were not at 
 this date fully united with Birmingham in 
 matters of discipline, its assistance was often 
 asked in cases of difficulty, as will be seen by 
 the next extract. 
 
 1707. Our Friend Nathaniel Newton having given this 
 meeting account of some disorderly persons at their meeting 
 at Baddesley, and desired the advice of this meeting, and 
 also the assistance of some of this meeting to go there to 
 examine matters, this meeting have appointed Jonathan 
 Freeth, John Hawkesford, and Samuel Stretch, to attend 
 next Monthly meeting at Baddesley to assist in the matter. 
 
 1707. The Friends appointed to go to Baddesley meeting, 
 to assist Friends gave this meeting an account that the persons 
 concerned in disorderly walking, did not much acknowledge 
 their misdemeanours or that they had done much amiss. 
 
 1708. This meeting appoints Edward IMarlow to have a 
 coat and waistcoat. 
 
 1709. At our Monthly meeting, 9th ist month, nothing 
 material proposed, nor for the next month nothing material. 
 
 The immediate cause of the junction ol 
 Baddesley and Wigginshill meetings with 
 that of Birmingham, in 17 10, appears to have 
 been the continued " disturbances " in Bad- 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 97 
 
 desley meeting by an individual whose preach- 
 ing was not acceptable, and by another who 
 became his partizan. Nathaniel Newton and 
 Samuel Nickson being appointed to " ask for 
 help from Friends of Birmingham Meeting," 
 the following minute was the result : , 
 
 Memorandum, that this twelfth of 5th month, 1710, 
 Friends of Badgley and Wigginsall meetings being present, 
 it was then agreed and concluded by them and Friends of 
 Birmingham, that for the greater service of truth and assisting 
 each other's meetings, the said three meetings of Birmingham, 
 Badgley, and Wigginsall do join together to make up one 
 Monthly Meeting. The first IMonthly Meeting being kept 
 here at Birmingham this present instant ; the next IMonthly 
 jSIeeting to be the second Fourth-day in ye next month, at 
 Badgley. The next Monthly IMeeting after that at Birmingham, 
 and ye next at Wigginsall, and so to continue from month to 
 month, to be six Monthly IMeetings in the year at Birmingham, 
 and six at Badgley and Wigginsall, in the same order as 
 before mentioned." 
 
 The above arrangement necessitated the 
 establishment of Preparative Meetings in the 
 three meetings ; that in Birmingham was com- 
 menced in ninth month, 17 10. 
 
 "This meeting hath agreed yt there be held here at 
 Birmingham every first Fourth-day in each month, as a 
 Preparative meeting for our particular business," 
 
 These meetings appear soon to have fallen 
 into disuse or to have been very irregularly 
 held until their recommencement in 173 1, since 
 which date regular minutes have been kept. 
 
 H 
 
98 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 " Meetings for young people " similar to those 
 referred to in a former chapter, were appointed 
 to be held in 1712 in the three meetings; 
 
 designed to strengthen them in a growth in 
 the blessed truth, and to inform them of our 
 testirgionies, and to come out, and to separate 
 from an ungodly world, its works and ways, 
 and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit accord- 
 ing to the example of our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ." 
 
 For a considerable period following the 
 consolidation of the North Monthly Meeting, 
 very few minutes were recorded, except those 
 relating to marriage, and an occasional " tes- 
 timony of disownment " against " disorderly 
 walkers," or of a special gift to a poor friend, 
 briefly noted thus : — 
 
 1725. This meeting orders two guineas to be given to 
 Mary Harrison, widow. 
 
 About the year 1730 several disownments 
 took place in Birmingham meeting, sometimes 
 on account of mixed marriages," but more 
 frequently for drunkenness and disorderly 
 walking contrary to truth's leadings." One of 
 these testimonies of disownment contains the 
 following truly Christian sentiments. 
 
 *' Notwdthstanding the Christian care and endeavours that 
 hath been used by the said people called Quakers, according 
 
Friends in Warwickshire, 99 
 
 to the good order prescribed by our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 recorded in Matthew xviii. * ^Moi-eover, if thy brother shall 
 trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between him 
 and thee alone, and if he shall hear thee thou hast gained 
 thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with 
 thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three 
 witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall 
 neglect to hear them, tell it to the church, but if he neglect to 
 hear the church let him be to thee as an heathen man and a 
 publican.' But * * * * i^ath continued his wicked and 
 disorderly practices to the dishonour of truth, and bringing 
 a reproach on the said people. Therefore, according to the 
 advice of the Apostle (Romans xvi.), 'Now I beeseech you, 
 brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences con- 
 trary to the doctrine ye have learned, and avoid them.' So 
 we do disown the above named, and in no respect own him 
 as a member of or in our community : heartily desiring the 
 Lord may so touch his heart, that he may see his outgoings, 
 and come to sincere repentance for the same." 
 
 It was a common practice in these days for 
 the Monthly Meeting to require delinquents to 
 attend, that they might be admonished before 
 steps were taken for their disownment ; one 
 minute on such an occasion runs thus : — 
 
 "At our Monthly Meeting held at Badgley, 1 2th of 6th 
 month, 1730. Joseph Ludford appeared at this meeting, and 
 upon conference with him, things not appearing so well as 
 Friends could desire, they in love gave him good advice and 
 desired his amendment, and also suspend further proceedings 
 till the next Monthly Meeting happens at Badgley." 
 
 The number of Friends travelling in the 
 ministry who visited Birmingham meeting 
 was very considerable at this period. A list 
 
100 Fiicnds in Wai'uAck shire. 
 
 was supplied at every quarterly meeting of 
 such visits to each particular meeting. A 
 careful record was for many years made in 
 Birmingham meeting of "Visits from Public 
 Friends," extending from 1726 to 18 10. So 
 vigorous was the itinerancy of the ministers 
 of the society in the first thirty or forty years 
 of the eighteenth century, that few First-days 
 passed without the presence of one or more of 
 these devoted labourers in Birmingham meet- 
 ing. In 1730, thirty -four such visits were 
 paid : at the end of the century the average 
 number had fallen to about twenty. 
 
 The minutes of Birmingham Preparative 
 Meeting, beginning with 173 1, contain very 
 little of historic interest. With the increasing 
 population of the town, the number of Friends 
 also somewhat increased ; and as in the present 
 century, so in the eighteenth, more by the 
 influx of Friends from other places than by 
 the natural increase of the older families. 
 Many of the descendants of these left the 
 society, so that at the close of the eighteenth 
 century only the names of Lloyd, Freeth, 
 Baker, and Evans, are to be found as the 
 representatives of the Friends connected with 
 meeting in the early part of the century. "The 
 account of the Birmingham collection for the 
 
Friends in Warzvickshire. loi 
 
 National Stock in 1740," probablj^ furnishes 
 the names of the principal families at that 
 time,* viz. .:— 
 
 
 
 s. 
 
 ■d. 
 
 
 £ 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 Sampson Lloyd ... 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 0 
 
 John Crowley 
 
 0 
 
 2 
 
 0 
 
 Joseph rarmer 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 0 
 
 James Brittle 
 
 0 
 
 4 
 
 0 
 
 i nomas remberton 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 0 
 
 Isaac Whitehead ... 
 
 0 
 
 4 
 
 0 
 
 Joshua Sargeant ... 
 
 0 
 
 10 
 
 6 
 
 James Stretch 
 
 0 
 
 2 
 
 /- 
 0 
 
 Charles Lloyd 
 
 0 
 
 10 
 
 6 
 
 Henry Bradford 
 
 0 
 
 10 
 
 6 
 
 Thomas Pritchard 
 
 0 
 
 15 
 
 0 
 
 Hannah Pemberton 
 
 0 
 
 10 
 
 6 
 
 
 Q 
 
 1 0 
 
 6 
 
 Isaac Newton 
 
 Q 
 
 5 
 
 Q 
 
 Abraham Freeth. . . . 
 
 c 
 
 IG 
 
 6 
 
 Jonathan Freeth .... 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 Edward Jones 
 
 0 
 
 5 
 
 0 
 
 Sampson Freeth ... 
 
 0 
 
 5 
 
 
 Elias Wakedam ... 
 
 0 
 
 5 
 
 0 
 
 John Banbrook ... 
 
 0 
 
 2 
 
 6 
 
 John Bissiil 
 
 0 
 
 5 
 
 0 
 
 John Wakeman ... 
 
 0 
 
 2 
 
 6 
 
 John Williams 
 
 0 
 
 5 
 
 0 
 
 John Eval"^s 
 
 0 
 
 4 
 
 0 
 
 David Freeth 
 
 0 
 
 5 
 
 0 
 
 Isaac Suffolk 
 
 
 
 
 John Mason 
 
 0 
 
 5 
 
 0 
 
 Wm. Baker I 
 Wm. Millington J 
 
 G 
 
 10 
 
 0 
 
 Margaret Freeth ... 
 
 0 
 
 10 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 John Hawkesford... 
 
 0 
 
 
 0 
 
 
 
 
 
 The Meeting-house erected in 1703, was in 
 need of substantial repairs seventy }'ears 
 afterwards, and owing to the increased traffic 
 and naise, the windows on the Bull Street side 
 were ordered to be bricked up in 1773, and 
 " handsome arched sash-windows " took the 
 place -of the small and dilapidated casements 
 on the side next tlie burial i^round. The roof 
 was also repaired, a gallery built at the south 
 
 * At this date, Friends belonging to Birmkigham Meeting were resident 
 at King's Norton, Solihull, Castle Bromwich, Harbome, Smctliwick, Hail 
 Greea, and Green Lanes. 
 
102 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 end, and the whole substantially panelled 
 with oak. 
 
 In 1778 it became necessary to enlarge the 
 meeting house, and some additional accommo- 
 dation was also added to the women's meeting- 
 room. During the alteration the meetings for 
 worship were held "at the hotel assembly- 
 room," for the use of which the sum of eight 
 guineas was paid. 
 
 The preparative meeting minute which fol- 
 lows relates to this alteration : — 
 
 1778. The following Friends are appointed as a com- 
 mittee to agree to and superintend the alterations of the 
 meeting house, viz. : Samuel Galton, Samuel Galton, jun., 
 Richard Dearman, Sampson Lloyd, jun., Thomas Robinson, 
 Samuel Baker, and Thomas Beddoes. And it is desired that 
 that they would forthwith set on foot a subscription among 
 Friends for defraying the expense, which it is computed may 
 amount to about ;i^300. 
 
 The total amount expended was ^587 
 19s. 6d., but other alterations were soon re- 
 quired, so that in 1792 the subject was again 
 brought under notice by the following minute: 
 
 1 792. The Friends appointed to consider of the proposed 
 alteration of the meeting house* proposed that the seats under 
 the ministers' gallery be elevated a step, and an additional 
 seat set before it, and the seats in the upper gallery be ele- 
 vated eight and a-half inches each from the front, which the 
 
 * A proposal was made to build a new meeting liouse in 1806, but a 
 further enlargement was made instead, and these alterations were continued 
 almost every ten years until the building of the new meeting house in J. 857. 
 
Friends in Warzvickshirc. 
 
 103 
 
 meeting approves and desires may be carried into effect ; and 
 we recommend the Friends who are members of the meeting 
 of ministers and elders to sit in the ministering Friends' gal- 
 lery. 
 
 ^Membership in the society was not very 
 clearly defined even in the latter half of the 
 eighteenth century, and owing to the miscon- 
 duct of some who claimed a birthright vrith 
 Friends, a committee was appointed in 1779 
 to consider these cases, on behalf of the 
 monthly meeting* 
 
 This committee, with an addition to its 
 numbers, continued their ser\'ices for several 
 years ; its special object will be seen by an 
 extract from their records, 
 
 '"Birmingham, 12th 10 month, 1779. 
 
 Most of the Friends appointed as a committee by the last 
 monthly meeting to take under consideration the cases of such 
 who may have pretensions to membership with Friends, but 
 are not of a conduct thoroughly orderly, attended this day at 
 the house of Joseph Gibbins, according to appointment." 
 
 Many cases came under their notice. A 
 mother and daughter having both married 
 out of the society, were never fully dis- 
 owned," and so were considered " as having 
 a claim for rehef." 
 
 * The names of the committee were Sampson Lloyd, Joseph Brueton, 
 Joseph Robinson, Thomas Robinson, V»'illiam Fowler, Samuel Gallon, 
 Charles Lloyd, John Evans, Samuel Ljthall, Sampson Lloyd, jun., 
 Richard Dearman, and Samuel Baker. 
 
104 
 
 Fi'icnds in Warivick::Jiire. 
 
 " Widow Keeling married out of the society, and don't 
 find she has been dealt with. Is a very respectable and in- 
 dustrious woman, and has brought up her children commend- 
 ably, who mostly attend our First-day meetings." 
 
 " D. L. has married a second wife, and she not of our 
 society, and it is feared he is not of orderly conduct." 
 
 "J. D. has been in the militia, and but rarely attends 
 meetings." 
 
 These were the kind of cases which occupied 
 the care of the committee. A very few were 
 brought back into unity with Friends, and 
 the others appear to have been ultimately 
 disowned. The committee was not finally 
 discharged until 1797. Its concluding min- 
 ute recommends the ''recognition in member- 
 ship " of several young persons, either on the 
 ground of convincement or of birth and edu- 
 cation in the society. 
 
 BADDESLEY MEETING. 
 
 The parish of Baddesley Ensor,* sixteen 
 miles from Birmingham, is pleasantly situated 
 on elevated ground, about midway between 
 the towns of Tamworth and Atherstone, and 
 just off the Roman Watling Street. At the 
 time George Fox and Richard Farnsworth 
 
 * Iiivai-iably spelt Badgky in ths early minutes. 
 
Friciids in W icksJdre. 
 
 first "declared tlie truth tkere," its sparse 
 population were almost wholly engaged in 
 agricultural pursuits. Among them, in this 
 and the neighbouring parishes, were numerous 
 substantial yeomen, owning and cultivating 
 their own freeholds ; and, as in other parts of 
 the country, it was from this class that the 
 Society of Friends drew many of its earliest 
 and best m.embers. Anthony Brickley was 
 one ci these, and who has already been re- 
 ferred to in a former chapter as among the 
 first who received the truth under the preach- 
 ing of George Fox in 1654. And in 1655, at 
 the "great meeting'"' he held at Baddesley, 
 many other persons ''came from far to it, and 
 were convinced' and turned to the Lord." 
 
 In 1660 the meeting was probably the 
 largest gathering of Friends in the county ; 
 its members living scattered in many neigh- 
 bouring towns and villages, in several of which 
 meetings were afterv/ards established. Down 
 to the end of the seventeenth century mem- 
 bers of Baddesley meeting were living at 
 Tamworth, Polesv/orth, Hartshill, Atherstone, 
 Grendon, and Baxterley ; and until the build- 
 ing of the meeting house, the farm kitchens 
 and orchards of Anthony Brickley, Henry 
 Siddin, and Nathaniel Newton were succes- 
 
I06 Friends in Warivickshire. 
 
 sively the places of meeting of the gathered 
 church. 
 
 There are but few records of this once flou- 
 rishing meeting, and the memorandums that 
 remain are scattered among cash accounts and 
 birth and marriage registers. The first is 
 a paper sent to Samuel Briggs by Henry 
 Siddin," viz.: — 
 
 " Samuel Briggs, forasmuch as thou having walked among, 
 us, the people of the Lord cal'd Quakers, and wee perceiving 
 thou hast nott don according to the truth, and wee feeling an 
 affection to thy soule doo unfeignedly desire thy return and 
 have experience of the Lord's mercy. Wherefore our desire 
 is to confer with thee, or that thou wilt take advice from 
 Friends in order to thy recovery, that God may be honoured 
 over all. 
 
 From our monthly meeting, the i8th of Twelfth month, 
 1679-80. 
 
 Marmaduke Siddin. Daniel Harris. 
 Henry Siddin. Joseph Ault. 
 
 Ralph Taylor. Wllliam Baldwin. 
 
 Robert Meeke, Edward Bradford. 
 
 Nicholas J uxoN, 
 
 Following this are records, showing, as in 
 other meetings, the care of the poor, and in 
 that time of persecution, the continued relief 
 given to " prisoners for the truth at Warwick." 
 There is evidence, too, of a meeting-house in 
 existence previous to the erection of the pre- 
 sent building, as found in " a record of what 
 money hath been collected amongst Friends 
 
Friends in WarzvicksJiire. 107 
 
 for ye reliefe of Friends yt had need." In 
 this it is written that in 1679 — 
 
 "There was payed to John Barfoot, towards the repaire of 
 the meeting-house, £\ 6s. 6d. 
 
 " xVnd there hath been disbursed by Xathaniel Xewton, 
 for friends at severall times about the house and bureing- 
 place, 4s. od." 
 
 Some other brief memorandums follow in 
 
 the Baddesley records, nearly all evincing the 
 
 charitable disposition of the early Friends. 
 
 1698. Pay'd Thomas Baldwin, towards his rent, 5s. 
 
 1699. Collected for the poor of the parish, owing to the 
 dreadful fire, £2 15s. 6d. 
 
 1699. Given for bread for the poor, los. 
 1 701. Given a poor stranger at meeting, 6d. 
 1705. Pay'd towards T. Cole's burying, 7s. 
 
 In the midst of cash accounts is a memo- 
 randum made a year or two previously to the 
 union of Baddesley, Birmingham, and Wig- 
 ginshill as one monthly meeting, which is as 
 follows : — 
 
 "Ye 26 of ye ist month, 1707, 
 " It was agreed at ower Monthly Meeting at Badgley, 
 upon notis given to Burmingham and Wigginsal upon any 
 extraordinary. bissness that this meeting thinks itself not so- 
 fishant to determine, and wee likewise upon notis do pro- 
 mise to meet either of them meetings if they have occasion." 
 
 Notwithstanding the erection of the several 
 meeting-houses of Tamworth, Hartshill, and 
 Atherstone, during the first half of the eight- 
 eenth century, the meeting at Baddesley 
 
io8 Friends in WarzvicksJdre. 
 
 maintained its numbers down to about 1750, 
 after which a considerable decHne took place, 
 and at the end of the century there were but 
 few P'riends remaining. Meetings were finally 
 discontinued in the year 1836, and for a con- 
 siderable period the meeting-house has been 
 let to the Methodists ; Friends having, how- 
 ever, the liberty of holding meetings in it as 
 opportunity serves. 
 
 HARTSHILL MEETING. 
 
 Hartshill is a pleasantly situated village, 
 about a mile from the Roman Watling Street, 
 which here forms the boundary between the 
 counties of Wanvick and Leicester. It is three 
 miles from Nuneaton and about the same dis- 
 tance from Fenny Drayton, the birthplace of 
 George Fox. Hartshill being placed on an 
 eminence, commands both beautiful and ex- 
 tensive views of the surrounding country, in- 
 cluding much fine corn and pasture land, rich 
 woodlands and gentle eminences, and thickly 
 interspersed with towns and villages. 
 
 The increasing number of Friends in North 
 Warvv^ckshire at the beginning of the eight- 
 
Friends in WarziicksJiirc. 
 
 eenth century led to the establishment of a 
 meeting in this village, that at Baddesley 
 being between three and four mJles distant 
 Part of a barn, given by Nathaniel Newton in 
 T704, was first used as a meeting-place. A 
 nev/ meeting-house was built in 1720 ; this 
 was destroyed sonie years later in a riot, of 
 the origin of which no records remain. By 
 collections, made in this and the neighbouring 
 Quarterly Meetings, the present building was 
 erected about 1740. 
 
 Although the meeting at Hartshill was 
 never large, and formed with Baddesley a 
 joint preparative meeting, it included several 
 families of Friends, chiefly engaged in agricul- 
 ture, among whom were persons of great 
 worth of Christian character. The names of 
 the Newtons, Lythalls, Fowlers, Rathbones, 
 and Crosfields were some of the most promi- 
 nent in connection with this meeting during 
 the eighteenth and earlier part of the present 
 century. Like all the country meetings in 
 Warwickshire, it greatly declined in num- 
 bers, and during the first thirty years of the 
 present century its " weak state " often called 
 for the care of the monthly meeting until its 
 discontinuance in 1838. 
 
 After having been closed for more than 
 
no Friends in WarwicksJdre. 
 
 thirty years, some Friends in Birmingham, in 
 conjunction with the late Edward Brewin, of 
 Leicester, felt desirous of holding a meeting 
 for worship in the old meeting-house at Harts- 
 hill. It was found, on inspection — although 
 ivy-clad and picturesque exteriorly — to be 
 scarcely tenantable within ; but a little repair 
 and cleaning being effected, a comfortable 
 and profitable meeting was held, which was 
 largely attended by the inhabitants. Several 
 other meetings were held at various intervals, 
 by the approval of Monthly Meeting, chiefly 
 under the care of Friends from Birmingham ; 
 and these being more or less well attended by 
 the inhabitants, on the settlement of a mem- 
 ber of the society to take charge of the school 
 adjoining the meeting-house, it was again re- 
 gularly opened for divine worship twice on a 
 First-day in i86g. Some of the attenders 
 have recently united in membership with the 
 society, and the meeting at Hartshill has 
 again become the centre of social and Christ- 
 ian influences in the village. 
 
 The School at Hartshill was founded pur- 
 suant to the Vv'ill of Nathaniel Newton, the 
 son of the Friend of the same name who was 
 contemporary with George Fox. In his will, 
 dated 1730, he bequeaths to the trustees two 
 
Friends in WarzvicksJiirc. 1 1 1 
 
 tenements at Hartshill and Baxterley, to- 
 gether with a piece of land, from the produce 
 of which a school was to be founded and a 
 schoolmaster appointed, "a discreet and grave 
 person, and one of a good life and conversa- 
 tion, who shall by the said trustees be ad- 
 judged and thought fit for that purpose to be 
 a schoolmaster, to teach children to read the 
 English tongue and to write and cast ac- 
 counts ; and such person shall place in the 
 messuage or tenement at Hartshill.'' The 
 number of children to be educated was twenty- 
 six, who were to be residents of Hartshill. A 
 commodious school-room was afterwards built, 
 and the schoolmaster being subsequently per- 
 mitted to take boarders, the school, during the 
 latter part of the past and beginning of the 
 present centur\^, rose to some eminence, under 
 the care of the late excellent Joseph Crosfield. 
 
 The trust is continued in its integrity to the 
 present day, and, as previously mentioned, a 
 member of the Society of Friends has again 
 been appointed to have the care of the school, 
 with prospects of usefulness both to the vil- 
 lage and the resuscitated meeting. 
 
112 Friends in Warzvickshire. 
 
 WIGGINSHILL MEETING. 
 
 The homely little meeting-house at Wig- 
 ginshill stands about a mile from Water Orton 
 station on the Midland railway. Its site was 
 purchased in I7ii,and a meeting-house and 
 cottage adjoining erected. For a hundred 
 years or more a congregation regularly as- 
 sembled v/ithin its walls, probably never num- 
 bering more than fifty persons, but early in 
 the present century this number was so re- 
 duced that a meeting could no longer be 
 maintained. The early Friends belonging to 
 this meeting were, like most of the others 
 in Warwickshire, engaged in agriculture, and 
 were scattered in several neighbouring par- 
 ishes. The first mention of a meeting in the 
 vicinity is at Wishaw, about 1670, and soon 
 after a meeting at Coleshill existed. It is 
 likely that one or two similar little gatherings 
 of Friends were held at other places at the 
 same period, and for a short time formed 
 " Wishaw Monthly Meeting," but by the time 
 the meeting-house at Wigginshill was pro- 
 vided, the whole of the Friends in the neigh- 
 bourhood assembled in it for worship. 
 
 The meeting-house was erected in 1724, 
 when a collection, amounting to £^0, was 
 
Friends in Warivickshire. 1 1 3 
 
 raised in the other meetings in the county to- 
 wards the expense, the Friends in the neigh- 
 bourhood supplying the rest. The whole cost 
 was a little more than £\oo. Some Friends 
 contributed lime, and others timber. Among 
 the money contributors are the names of 
 Knight, Bradford, Summerland, Whitehead, 
 Keatley, Priest, Arnot, and Snape. 
 
 The few scanty records of this meeting con- 
 tain scarcely anything of interest. Like all 
 the other meetings, the care of the poor, the 
 sick, and " prisoners for truth's sake," was the 
 chief business of the then particular meetings. 
 
 In 1737 the meeting was evidently declining 
 in numbers. The following solitary minute is 
 interesting, as showing something of its reli- 
 gious condition at that period. 
 
 " 'Tis agreed that our week-day meetings 
 should be on Fourth-days, the time ap- 
 pointed to be the tenth hour. 
 
 " The time aforesaid is observed, and though 
 our meetings are but small, have been very 
 frequently comfortable to the diligent and 
 watchful, which is matter of encouragement 
 to such to be diligent to assemble themselves 
 together to wait upon and worship God, who 
 is mindful of such as seek Him in sincerity of 
 
 I 
 
ri4 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 heart, and has never said to the seed of Jacob, 
 ' Seek ye my face in vain.' " 
 
 This meeting-house was closed more than 
 half a century ago, and is now in a very dilapi- 
 dated condition. 
 
 ATHERSTONE MEETING. 
 
 The pleasant little town of Atherstone, 
 within two miles from George Fox's birth- 
 place, has been referred to in a previous chap- 
 ter. A few persons in this place appear to 
 have joined with Friends in very early days, 
 and were probably connected with Baddesley 
 meeting. 
 
 About the year 1729 a small meeting-house 
 was built on a site purchased with money left 
 by John King, the members continuing to 
 form part of Baddesley Preparative Meeting. 
 No records remain relating to this meeting, 
 the numbers of which must always have been 
 very small. The meeting-house was closed 
 about fifty years ago, and is now rented as a 
 workshop. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 115 
 
 TAMWORTH MEETING. 
 
 The names of Friends residing in Tarn- 
 worth are to be found as early as 1670, and 
 a meeting was established there, but no settled 
 meeting was held in the town until early in 
 the following century, and no indication re- 
 mains of their first place of worship. The 
 existing meeting-house was built on a piece 
 of land bought in 175 1. 
 
 For upwards of half a centur}^ a consider- 
 able body of Friends resided in or near 
 Tamworth, many of whom left a good namiC 
 behind them, as persons of exemplary life and 
 conversation. The settlement of this meeting, 
 however, did not take place until the early 
 zeal of Friends had declined, and it appears 
 never to have had an acknowledged minister 
 within its compass during its entire history. 
 No aggressive action was taken by its mem- 
 bers, who increased in wealth and declined in 
 zeal. The younger members, early in this 
 century, left the society, and this, combined 
 with removals and deaths, left the meeting a 
 very small one by 1820. On the decease of 
 the last member, in 1852, the meeting-house 
 was closed, and has since been used succes- 
 
Ii6 
 
 Friends in Warzuickshire. 
 
 sively as a school and an occasional place of 
 worship for other bodies of Christians. 
 
 FULLFORD HEATH AND HENLEY MEETING. 
 
 FULLFORD Heath lies in the parish of 
 Tanworth, about nine miles south of Birm- 
 ingham to the east of the Alcester road. 
 From very scanty records, it is found that a 
 considerable gathering of Friends met in this 
 locality soon after 1680, and that representa- 
 tives both from Fullford Heath and Henley 
 were regularly appointed to the Quarterly 
 Meeting. 
 
 No meeting-house was ever built at Full- 
 ford Heath, the meetings being held in the 
 house of Joshua Sargeant for a long series 
 of years. In connection with Henley meet- 
 incr, the Friends at Fullford Heath formed a 
 distinct monthly meeting, as will be seen from 
 the following minute : — 
 
 " At the monthly meeting held at Fullford Heath, i6th of 
 loth month, 1698, it was then agreed that Fullford Heath 
 and Hendley be from ence joyned in one monthly meeting, 
 and to be duly kept the third Sixth-day in every month, that 
 is, one day at Fullford Heath, and one day at Hendley, — 
 that is, a meeting of business both for men and women." 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 117 
 
 A number of poor Friends were connected 
 with this monthly meeting, who appear, how- 
 ever, to have been well cared for, as evinced 
 by liberal collections. 
 
 *' 1698. Ye hard weather and ye late season hath caused 
 some who profess with us to lack of outward good, and 
 Friends as are of ability are desyrd to help these, and E. 
 Snape is desyred to ask for help at ye next quarter meeting."' 
 
 Sundry minutes at this period also relate 
 to the putting forth of boys as apprentices: 
 one of these is subjoined : — 
 
 " 1699. It was agreed to that Joshua Sargeant shall take 
 as an apprentice his kinsman, John Sargeant, for the term of 
 seven years, beginning on the 25th of First month, 1699 : and 
 this meeting doth agree to give him with the said boy the 
 sum of two pounds and twelve shillings." 
 
 Several marriages in this monthly meeting 
 about the year 1700, afford proof of the exist- 
 ence of a considerable body of Friends in the 
 locality at that time. 
 
 The last minute relating to marriage before 
 the union of this monthly meeting with that 
 of Warwickshire North, runs thus : — 
 
 "At our monthly meeting at Fullford Heath, the 15th 
 day of the 2nd month, 1715, Samuel Hewson and Mary 
 Snape having declared their intention of taking each other in 
 marriage at several monthly meetings, according to the good 
 order of Truth, and now we understanding they have the 
 consent of parents and relations, and also the unity of Friends 
 therein, we therefore think it our places to leave it to their 
 freedom in the fear of the Lord to proceed in marriage when 
 they see meet." 
 
iiB Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 In 1 716 a minute of the Quarterly meeting, 
 relating to the junction of this monthly meet- 
 ing with that of Warwickshire North, is as 
 follows : — • 
 
 ** Friends of Henley and Fullford Heath meeting having 
 not attended the monthly meeting according to agreement, 
 Friends belonging to Birmingham monthly meeting are or- 
 dered from this meeting to speak to the said Friends, that 
 they may join that monthly meeting according to the said 
 agreement, and give in the report to the next monthly meet- 
 ing." 
 
 The union of the two monthly meetings 
 was accomplished in the next quarter, the 
 minute running thus : — 
 
 " Pursuant to a minute made last Quarterly meeting, the 
 Friends of Henley and Fullford Heath meetings gave in 
 the account that they are willing and do join with Birming- 
 ham monthly meeting, according to their former agreement." 
 
 The meeting at Fullford Heath was discon- 
 tinued about the year 1727, and this being 
 the year in which a meeting-house at Henley 
 was opened, it appears probable that the 
 larger number of Friends then resided in that 
 particular neighbourhood.* 
 
 * " Bill of expenses for putting the meetmg-house in order, ninth month, 
 
 1735. 
 
 John London's bill for boards o 14 2 
 
 For Nails o 2 2 J 
 
 For a Calf's Skin o i o 
 
 17 yards Matting, at (>d , and carriage 089 
 
 Lime and Glue to wash it o o 8 
 
 George Pool, for doing it 014 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 119 
 
 Henley-IN-Arden is a small market town, 
 twelve miles from Birmingham, on the Strat- 
 ford road. A meeting of Friends was held 
 here before 1689, and is referred to in a pre- 
 vious chapter. Among the names of mem- 
 bers of these two meetings occur those of 
 Sargeant, Snape, Fowler, Allen, Lucas, Lort, 
 Astley, Field, and Baker. Towards the close 
 of the century, the meeting at Henley expe- 
 rienced the same sorrowful decline in numbers 
 as all the country meetings in Warwickshire 
 North. The meeting was finally discontinued 
 early in this century, and the meeting-house, 
 which had been converted into a cottage, was 
 sold about twenty years ago. 
 
 In 1 7 16, and for a few years after, a meet- 
 ing was held in the neighbouring parish of 
 Lapworth, but beyond this fact no further 
 record remains. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The Middle Monthly Meeting— Coventry Meeting in Hill Street— In 
 Vicar Lane— Number of Friends — Causes of decline — Care of the Poor — 
 Cash Accounts —Warwick Meeting — George Fox in the Market — The 
 Meeting house and Graveyard— Resting place of William Dewsbury — 
 Occupations of Friends — Fire at Warwick — Sundry Minutes — Reduced 
 Numbers — Meeting at Radford — Harbury Meeting-house — Berkswell — 
 Stratford— Bedworih — Meriden— Balsall Street. 
 
 W\}z iHilitile Jflont{)l2 JHeettng. 
 
 Very soon after the rise of Friends in War- 
 wickshire this meeting was constituted ; but, 
 as in the case of the North Meeting, the sep- 
 arate functions of the preparative and monthly 
 meeting were not very clearly defined during 
 the first fifty years of its existence. In 171 5 
 the Middle Monthly Meeting comprised 
 meetings at Coventry, Warwick, Harbury, 
 Radford -Semele, Meriden, and Bedworth. 
 Later on in the century the three latter were 
 discontinued, and meetings were for a few 
 years held at Stratford, Balsall Street, and 
 Berkswell. 
 
 COVENTRY MEETING. 
 
 The visits of George Fox to this ancient 
 city have been referred to in a former chapter, 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 121 
 
 and we read of " prisoners for the truth's sake 
 in Coventry prison " in the year 1664. 
 
 In 1668 the Friends of Coventry purchased 
 a considerable plot of ground in Hill Street, 
 the site of the present burying-place, and on it 
 a meeting-house was erected, or an old building 
 adapted for that purpose until 1698. In that 
 year a piece of ground was purchased in Vicar 
 Lane, nearer the centre of the city, and a 
 meeting-house erected ; and as the Society in 
 Coventry considerably increased during the 
 first half of the eighteenth century, additional 
 land was purchased and the meeting-house 
 enlarged in 1742. This building remains very 
 much in its original condition, presenting a 
 sombre and unsightly appearance, both as to 
 its internal and external arrangements. 
 
 In 1730 Coventry was the largest meeting 
 in the county, comprising probably from two 
 hundred and fifty to three hundred members, 
 and was long favoured with a lively ministry.* 
 Many of its members were connected with 
 the then staple manufacture of the place, the 
 production of woollen stuffs. At the end of 
 the century this trade began to decline in the 
 
 * In tlie year 1760 the ministers present at a Monthly Meeting at 
 Coventry were as follows : John Adkins, John Irons, Joseph Heath, John 
 Wheeler, Ann White, Elizabeth Lancaster ; and of elders — Wm. Gulson, 
 Thomas Allen, Joseph Seymour, Mary Nixon, and Ann Higginson. 
 
122 Friends i?i Warwickshire. 
 
 city, and several members of Coventry meet- 
 ing removed with their businesses to the more 
 favoured manufacturing districts of Lanca- 
 shire, the number of members being thus 
 materially lessened. After the year 1820 they 
 became more rapidly reduced, both in this and 
 the neighbouring meeting of Warwick, neces- 
 sitating, owing to their weak state, a union, 
 in 1837, with the North Monthly Meeting* 
 
 The records of Coventry Meeting are but 
 scanty, and do not afford much information as 
 to the inner life of the Society. 
 
 A few quaintly-written minutes at the end 
 of the seventeenth century may perhaps inter- 
 est the reader. The first of these probably 
 furnishes the names of the principal house- 
 holders of Coventry meeting at that time. 
 
 '* 2nd month, 1698. It is ordered by this monthly meet- 
 ing that Friends belonging to our meeting are to assist travel- 
 ling Friendsf in their journey as it comes in course. 
 
 Elizabeth Edwards. Andrew Roberts. 
 
 Moses Merry. Samuel Croxall. 
 
 Mary Gulson. Christopher Southern. 
 
 Stephen Scotton. John S cotton. 
 
 "William Townsend. Andrew Roberts. 
 
 Richard Mallet. Samuel Nutt. 
 
 Maiy Rushton. John Trustance. 
 
 Samuel Higginson. Eales Wilkes." 
 
 John Brabins. 
 
 * Coventry Meeting now (1872) numbers sixteen members, 
 t Ministers of the Society. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 123 
 
 *' 1698. At our monthly meeting, held at Coventry, it is 
 agreed unto that Meriden Friends have concluded to come to 
 Coventry to a meeting of worship upon the second first-day 
 in ye month, and likemse it is agreed for Coventry friends to 
 goe to Meriden meeting of worship every fourth first day in 
 every month. " 
 
 " 1699. Friends are desired to be generous in giving at 
 our next collection for the help of the poore, as there are 
 sevarall hard cases which call for the care of Friends. And 
 it is to be remembered that they who with chearful ready 
 minds give, lend unto the Lord. " 
 
 '* 2nd month, 1702. At our monthly meeting it is agreed 
 unto that our generall monthly meeting shall begin at the 
 nth hour, and that it shall be spoke of ye ist day before." 
 
 ** i2mo, 1702. It is agreed at our monthly meeting that 
 the meeting at Bedworth shall be on the ist ist-day of eveiy 
 month." 
 
 ** 1702. It is agreed and concluded by this meeting, that 
 the hearse as belongs to our meeting none shall lend to any 
 without hire according as the journey shall be," 
 
 *'i7o8. It is agreed that Mary Gulson shall have the 
 grass of the burying place till the 21st of the first month next, 
 and then to pay 6s. 8d. " 
 
 The cash accounts, beginning with 1695, 
 are carefully kept, and give proof that, as in 
 other meetings, the poor were well cared for ; 
 the numerous Friends travelling in the minis- 
 try also added a considerable item to the 
 meeting's expenses in the cost of provision 
 for their horses, shoeing, and repair of saddles, 
 &c. A few items are as follow : — 
 
124 
 
 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 1695. Paid to a poor man 010 
 
 ,, Paid to E. Hancock for a coat o 9 4 
 
 ,, Paid to E. Hancock for two load of coles 046 
 Paid for some necessaiy repairs for travel- 
 ling Friends o 2 9 
 
 ,, Paid E. Hancock's rent 2 o o 
 
 Paid for I strike of rye for Wm. Steel i o o 
 
 1697. Paid to William Steel on his 'prentice's 
 
 accompt 020 
 
 Paid to a poor woman o 4 6 
 
 ,, Paid for 10 hundred of hay, for Friends' 
 horses, for straw, a shovel and brush 
 
 and currycomb, and to a Friend i 8 3 
 
 1698. Paid to Jos. Maddock for one yeare for 
 
 cleaning ye meeting-house o 12 3 
 
 1698. Paid for mending E. Hancock's windows 018 
 
 ,, Paid for Friends' horses at severall times... 069 
 1700, Paid for Saml. Chandler's horse one night, 
 
 and for a bait for a guide o i 4 
 
 ,, Gave to poor man o o 6 
 
 1702. For mending the meeting-house o i 6 
 
 Wm. Steel had bread come to 3s. id., and 
 
 in money 9d o 3 10 
 
 ,, Lent Richard Brooks's mother o 2 6 
 
 1703. For mending the grave yard I 14 6 
 
 1708. Paid John Johnson half a year's sweeping 
 
 the meeting-house o 5 o 
 
 171 1. Paid for carriage of Wm. Ashton to London o 10 o 
 ,, Matting for the meeting-house o 3 o 
 
 1 712. Paid to John Little, schoolmaster, a quar- 
 
 ter's salary i 5 o 
 
 1 7 13. Paid for mending the formes and windows 034 
 
 1 7 14. Paid at the quarterly meeting and sent to 
 
 London for public service 5 ° 
 
 1717. Paid for two seats and mending two 150 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 125 
 
 I s. d. 
 
 1 718. Paid for Friends' horses and mending the 
 
 grave yard dore O 5 2 
 
 1 7 19. Towards Thomas Taylor's loss by fire I 10 o 
 
 Paid for Friends' horses and acquainting 
 
 [giving notice] of a meeting O 5 2 
 
 1 721. Paid for Friends' horses, for books, letters 
 
 and schoolmaster coming from London 2 10 6|- 
 1723. Six months — paid nothing ! o o o 
 
 1725. Paid four poor women 2s. 6d., and horse- 
 
 hire and earring Margrete Pain to 
 
 Stony Stratford o 15 3^ 
 
 1726. Paid for the dressing of Richard Farmer's 
 
 legg to the widow Robinson o 10 o 
 
 1727. For acquainting Friends of a meeting .... o o 6 
 
 1728. Paid to Josiah Forster for a book to write 
 
 the yearly minutes into O 2 6 
 
 1728. For guide and horse to Hinkley with 
 
 Widow Hashold o 2 6 
 
 1728. For schooling of Jno. Harris's children ... o 12 9 
 1740. Paid Geo. Aires for mopping the meeting- 
 house o 2 o 
 
 1748. Paid for a portal to the meeting-house 515 3^ 
 
 „ Paid for Job Freer's learning o 7 8 
 
 Two charitable trusts exist in connexion 
 with Coventry meeting, entitled Bridget 
 Southeron's Trust and the Exhall Trust. 
 
 Bridget Southeron's Trust. — Two houses in Smith- 
 ford Street, a room in Vicar Lane, and a house in Bishop 
 Street, Coventry, were left by Bridget Southeron, in 1731, 
 **for the education of poor children of the people called 
 Quakers, or any other inhabitants of Coventry, and providing 
 them with outward clothing of brown coloured stuff." Also 
 ;^420, left by William Edwards in 1791, now invested in a 
 mortgage on property at Attleborough, at five per cent. The 
 
126 Frie7ids m Warwickshire, 
 
 income, about ;i^ii4 a year, is now employed in the payment 
 of two teachers in the Girls' Lancasterian School, and in 
 clothing thirty-five of the scholars. Under Bridget South- 
 eron's will, the trustees are directed that whenever one of 
 them departs this life, the survivors are to choose a successor 
 within the month following. 
 
 The Exhall Trust dates from 1727, when fi-eehold 
 land and tenements, at Exhall, were purchased with a legacy 
 left by Robert Astbury, for the relief of the poor of the people 
 called Quakers. The rent, £'^(i a year, is expended for these 
 purposes by the trustees. When five or more of the trustees 
 have departed this life, the survivors are to convey to them- 
 selves and five or more discreet persons of the people called 
 Quakers living in or near the city of Coventry. 
 
 WARWICK MEETING. 
 
 The county town of Warwickshire has often 
 been referred to in these pages, as the centre, 
 for more than a century, of a large and useful 
 body of Friends, among whom were, in suc- 
 cessive periods, a number of valued and in- 
 fluential ministers of the gospel. From the 
 earliest days of Friends, in Warwick the meet- 
 ing was gathered from a wide surrounding 
 district, in which, at a later period, some 
 other meetings were formed.* 
 
 * In 1690, members of Warwick meeting resided at Leamington Priors, 
 Tachbrook, Budbiook, Lillington, Kenilworth, Radford, Harbury, and 
 Southam. 
 
Friends in WarivicksJdre. 
 
 127 
 
 The meeting held by George Fox in 1655, 
 at a widow's house in Warwick,* is the first 
 record of Friends in Warwick. He was ac- 
 companied at that time by John Crook, Amor 
 Stoddart, and Gerard Roberts, who, after 
 much ill usage, rode away towards Dun- 
 church, George Fox, according to his own 
 account, returning to Warwick. He says : 
 
 " When we were quite out of the town I told Friends it 
 was upon me from the Lord that I must go back into it 
 again ; and if any one of them felt any thing upon him from 
 the Lord, he might follow me, and the rest that did not 
 Height go on to Dunchurch, So I passed up through the 
 market in the dreadful power of God, declaring the word of 
 life to them, and John Crook followed me. Some struck at 
 me ; but the Lord's power was over them and gave me do- 
 minion over all, I showed them their unworthiness of the 
 the name of christians, and the unworthiness of their teachers 
 who had not brought them into more sobriety, and what a 
 shame they were to Christianity. " 
 
 As meetings were held here by George 
 Fox in the following year, 1656, it cannot be 
 doubted that a company had been gathered 
 by this period under the name of Friends. 
 In 1 67 1 some freehold land was purchased 
 "in trust, for the use of the people of God, 
 gathered in the light and spirit of truth out of 
 the world to worship God in spirit and truth, 
 who walk in the fear of God, and are com- 
 
 * See page 12. 
 
128 Friends in Warwickshire, 
 
 monly called Quakers." It is probable, as in 
 some other cases, that on this land some 
 buildings stood which were adapted as a 
 meeting-place. 
 
 The very first minute in the Warwick 
 records most likely refers to the earliest 
 meeting-house : — 
 
 1686. Att ye monthly meeting in Warwick, 6 day of 
 1 1 month. It was agreed upon by Friends that there shall be 
 chosen two or three Friends to have the oversight of the 
 repairing of the house, which are these — George Harris, 
 Thomas Russell, John Banbury. 
 
 In 1694 a large part of Warwick was de- 
 stroyed by fire, which occasioned much loss 
 and distress to the inhabitants. Much suffer- 
 ing was also caused to Friends by this calam- 
 ity ; a collection was made for their relief, 
 not only in this, but in the neighbouring quar- 
 terly meetings. 
 
 The present meeting-house was built in 
 1695, the former one having been probably 
 destroyed by the fire of the previous year. 
 A statement of receipts and disbursements in 
 relation to this edifice is extant, and is as 
 follows : — 
 
 "The I2th of the 4th month, 1695. An account of ye 
 recepts of moneyes collected towards ye rebuilding of ye 
 meeting-house. 
 
 Warwick Meeting 42 II 6 
 
 Warwick County 3° 15 3 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 129 
 
 Robert Hill's gift i 2 o 
 
 Worcester County 22 12 7 
 
 Ye 19th of 8th month, received the collection 
 from Oxfordshire, by ye hands of Samuel 
 
 Hains, which sum is 19 10 5 
 
 "The I2th of ye 4th month, 1693. It ap- 
 pears by the bills brought in to this monthly 
 meeting, which is as followeth, as appears 
 to the satisffaction of ye meeting, being 
 money disbursted towards building of ye 
 
 meeting-house 1 13 16 10 
 
 George Harris 2 14 o 
 
 For rafters o 8 o 
 
 Pd. for all ye formes in ye meeting-house and 
 for ye seat yt publick Friends sitt on, with 
 
 railing 500 
 
 And for ye benches round ye meeting-house 
 with boardes and the elbow boardes and 
 
 workmanship 3 lo o 
 
 "Ye 20th 12 month, 1695. It doth appear 
 that all the money brought in from War- 
 wick, Worster, and Oxford countys, the 
 
 totall sum is 117 16 I 
 
 "The charge in building the meeting-house, 
 it appears to be in all 116 17 8 
 
 Although closely adjoining the High Street, 
 as in many other instances, the meeting-house 
 premises occupy a very retired situation be- 
 hind a dwelling-house, through a portion of 
 which, only, can entrance be obtained. In 
 the quiet, pretty graveyard behind, lie the 
 remains of many Warwickshire worthies, Wil- 
 liam Dewsbury being one of these. 
 
 K 
 
130 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 Friends in Warwick soon became a numer- 
 ous and influential body, probably not much 
 inferior in numbers to the meeting at Coventry. 
 More than one -half its members appear, dur- 
 ing the whole of the eighteenth century, to 
 have resided in country districts ; most of 
 these were engaged in farming, some culti- 
 vated their own freeholds, others were millers, 
 and those resident in the town followed some 
 of the trades usual in country towns. 
 
 The following interesting minutes and 
 memorandums occur in the Warwick Pre- 
 parative Meeting books : — 
 
 " 1686. Friends are desyred to come to our meeting 
 more diligent, and as near half an hour after the ninth hour 
 as they can ; and Tobias Edwards is ordered to speak to 
 Friends on this behalfe." 
 
 " 1687. Ye 4th of 5th month. Samuel Hopwood and 
 his father were att our meeting, Hkevvise Thomas Raylton 
 and Simon Warner were here, both London friends. They 
 spoke in our meeting with faithful sober words, and preacht 
 the word of life with power, desiryng that nothing should 
 hinder the power and Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ from growing daily among us, T. R. spoke att large 
 concerning the spreading of the truth, and how it ought to be 
 the care of all faithfuU Friends not to stand still with folded 
 arms, but to be zealous for the gathering in of others to the 
 like precious liberty wee have been brought into. S. W. 
 spoke of severall sufferers in this and Coventry prison, how 
 that their minds were stayed on the Lord, and desyred wives 
 and children and relations to wait with patience for the 
 Lord's time of deliverance, which he said he felt was near at 
 
Friends in Warivickshire. 131 
 
 hand. He spake allso in both ye meetings, how there was 
 in our midst a spirit yt the Lord was grieved att ; and he 
 prayed them to whom the woi'd apply'd to put away that evil 
 spirit, and to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no 
 provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. 
 
 " Much more did the Lord's faiLhfull messengers deliver 
 unto us, but this is the chief as can be remembered." 
 * ' 1 698. Paid for making Elizabeth Rudge's grave o i o 
 
 Paid for Gearsey for her covering o o 7^ 
 
 Paid for her coffin o 6 o 
 
 " 1699. Paid for bread which George Hands had o 13 7 
 *' 1699. It is agreed and concluded by this meeting 
 that the children of George Hands, when they are fitt to be 
 putt forth to service, that Friends are to take care to place 
 them amongst Friends. 
 
 ' ' 1 700. Paid to Ann Harris, for sack and beer 
 
 and biskett, for travelling Friends 040 
 
 *' 1700. It was agreed yt we should have a partickler 
 
 monthly meeting among ourselves the 5 day next before the 
 
 generall monthly meeting." 
 
 " 1707. Gave to Abraham Jagard, of Church 
 Wootton, uppon account of his mother being 
 
 an object of pitty o 6 o 
 
 ' ' 1 707. Paid to Willam Berry what he paid for 
 ye horses meate of John Pryer and Isaac Pen- 
 nington, and the horses meat of yt Friend yt 
 came along with them for their guide to War- 
 wick, put up at the signe of the Swan o 4 2 
 
 " 1708. Paid to Ann Harris, for wine 013 
 
 "1708. Paid to Nathaniel Allin for his horses 
 hire and his exps. in his jurney, he being 
 apptd. by ye meeting to go along with William 
 
 Fallowfield to Birmingham o 3 lO 
 
 " 1708. Paid to the Widow Harris what she laid 
 
 out for wine o i 6f 
 
132 Friends in W arzvicksJiire. 
 
 '* 1708. At our preparative meeting held at "War- 
 wick ye 26 of i2mo., then paid to Richard 
 King, for making the horse-block att the back 
 door of Ann Harris's house by Tobias Edwards, 
 and he is desired to take a receat o 6 o 
 
 *' 1709. The accounts belonging to Friends being to be 
 cast up before the next prepai-ative meeting, it is agreed that 
 they shall be cast up publickly in the meeting-house on a 
 meeting day, that all that pay to the collection may know 
 how the money is disbursted ; also another Friend is to be 
 chosen before the next preparative meeting to be in Tobias 
 Edwards' place, who is the cash keeper at present." 
 
 " Paid for the horses meat of Thomas Willson, of 
 
 Kendal, in Westmoreland, at ye Swan O I 5 
 
 '* Ye above said friend spake of a day of tryall that would 
 certainly come upon this nation, and exhorted Friends to get 
 into a solid weighty spirit, that they might be prepared to 
 stand fast in their faith in the day of tryall, and signifying all 
 that were not faithfuU to truth would be as chaff, driven 
 
 away by ye fann or stormy wind." 
 
 ** 1709- Paid for a horse hire and a man to go 
 along with Mary Truman from hence to Eating- 
 ton (she lives at Cain, in Wiltshire), she being 
 sent for to Iter husband, he lying sick, she 
 
 wanted assistance on her journey O 3 II 
 
 " 1709. Given to William Foulkes, as a token 
 
 of our love o 5 o 
 
 "1709. Given to Rennils's, being penniless o 6 o 
 
 " 1 7 10. Paid for a new table, all hart of oak, 
 with a drawer, that is bought for the service 
 of the meeting, and is to be kept in the 
 meeting-house 086 
 
 " 1 7 10, This meeting having before dealt in private with 
 the undernamed, have ordered Abraham King and Ann 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 133 
 
 Wibling, the daughter of Joseph Wibling, of Guy's Cliff, 
 both of them to come before this meeting to deal with them 
 conserning their disorderly doings in giving way both of 
 them to joyn themselves in marriage with persons yt are 
 not friends. " 
 
 " 1 7 10. Paid to Richard Williams, joyner, for 
 making the seat as goes from one end of the 
 meeting-house to the other end, he finding all 
 ye stuff ; only that part which was the place 
 for publick friends before both bottom and top 
 he used in the work 3 4 2 
 
 * * Paid for candles, nails and drink, y t the work- 
 men had when ye work was done o 6 o 
 
 These quaint and interesting- records cease 
 with 17 10, They are mostly in the writing of 
 John Hands, one of the most estimable and 
 prominent worthies of Warwick meeting, who, 
 being convinced in the days of George Fox, 
 became an earnest minister, which station he 
 occupied for the space of sixty-two years.- 
 
 There are few minutes of a later date of 
 much interest beyond the sad record of a great 
 falling away from early zeal by the middle of 
 the eighteenth century, when the Society 
 ceased to be aggressive, 
 
 " 1720. The Friends of Warwick, owing to their nu- 
 merous poor, may apply to the Quarterly Meeting on this 
 behalf." 
 
 " 1757, The Friends of Warwick having signified to 
 this meeting that they are over-burdened with poor, may 
 apply to the Quarterly Meeting for relief." 
 
 * John Adkins and Eiizabedi Lancaster, the last of a numerous line of 
 estimable ministers in Warwick meeting, died respectively in 1766 and 1767. 
 
134 
 
 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 Many disownments occurred for marrying 
 out of the Society, and some for gross 
 breaches of the moral law. Several families 
 of Friends, also, between 1750 and 1760, 
 emigrated from Warwick to Pennsylvania. 
 The meeting, though much smaller, com- 
 prised a considerable body of Friends down 
 to the beginning of the present century ; after 
 which it rapidly diminished, the worshippers 
 in the ancient meeting-house being now re- 
 duced to the two or three." 
 
 HARBURY MEETING. 
 
 The village of Harbury, about six miles 
 from the modern town of Leamington, is situ- 
 ated in a fine agricultural district, out of which 
 several persons were gathered into member- 
 ship with the Society of Friends as early as 
 1670. 
 
 The first meeting was held at the house of 
 William Harris, at Radford Semele, three 
 miles from Leamington, beginning at the 
 above date, and continuing for upwards of 
 thirty years, until the building of Harbury 
 meeting-house in 1705. For some years after, 
 two monthly meetings in the year continued 
 
Friends in WariuicksJiirc. 135 
 
 to be held ''at William Harris his house." 
 This Friend is briefly and simply described 
 as " a lover of his Maker, of Friends, and of 
 good men everywhere ; valiant for the truth, 
 and a sufferer for it, and seeking to follow in 
 the footsteps of our blessed Saviour Jesus 
 Christ in all things." 
 
 Connected with the meeting at Harbury 
 were Friends resident in the little market 
 town of Southam, and the villages of Lad- 
 broke, Bishop's Ichington, Radford, and 
 Upton. Only a few memorandums remain 
 relating to this meeting, and they are of the 
 briefest character. The first refer to the 
 building of the meeting-house. 
 
 " 1704, This meeting*" unanimously consents to assist 
 Friends of Harborrow in building a meeting-house. " 
 
 '* 1705. Received of William Berry of ye money yt was 
 colected towards ye building of Harbery meeting-house, 
 being 8s. 6d. left of it." 
 
 On the establishment of Harbury meeting, 
 it comprised about a dozen families, in 
 which were included the names of Harris, 
 Lucas, Harwood, Knock, Betts, Franklin, and 
 Wilson. Living in the service of one of these 
 Friends was a young man, respecting whom 
 the following minutes occur, and illustrate the 
 
 * Quarterly Meeting Minutes. See ante 59. 
 
136 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 interest taken by Friends in that day of the 
 temporal concerns of their members. 
 
 1707. The putting of John Cook into some way of busi- 
 ness being spoken to, is left to the consideration of next 
 monthly meeting." 
 
 *' 1708. The setting of John Cook to school for one 
 month to learn arithmetick being had in consideration, this 
 meeting leaves the same to the care of Harbery Friends." 
 
 The other minutes refer wholly to the relief 
 of the poor. 
 
 " 1708. William Smith [of Harbury] made complaint 
 that the money allowed by the three meetings for relief of his 
 mother-in-law is not sufficient, the consideration whereof is 
 referred to the next monthly meeting," 
 
 " 1708. Agreed to pay William Smith, for the mainten- 
 ance of his mother-in-law, six shillings every month, in this 
 proportion, viz., Warwick 2 shills id., Coventry 2 shills id., 
 Harbury I shill 4d., and Samuel Harbart 6d." 
 
 The meeting at Harbury ceased to exist 
 about 1795, and the meeting-house was sold 
 forty years later. 
 
 BERKSWELL MEETING. 
 
 This meeting appears to have been formed 
 by the union of Friends, who for a time held 
 meetings at Kenilworth, Balsall Street, and 
 Meriden. A small meeting-house was built 
 in the village of Berkswell, or a cottage 
 adapted for the purpose, about the year 
 
Friends m Warwickshire. 137 
 
 1750, for their joint convenience. The meet- 
 ing probably never numbered more than ten 
 or twelve householders, and even these be- 
 came much fewer twenty years later. The 
 Clarks, of Balsall Street, were amongst the 
 earhest supporters of the little meeting of 
 Berkswell. 
 
 The two following minutes relate to this 
 meeting-house : — 
 
 *' 1758. William Gulson laid before this meeting the ne- 
 cessity of making some alteration in the meeting-house at 
 Berkswell, and this meeting recommends to each particular 
 meeting a subscription to answer that service. " 
 
 " 1761. The Friends of Warwick having subscribed for 
 defraying the charges of Christopher Middleton's journey to 
 Ireland, and excused the Friends of Coventry, is the reason 
 why they only subscribe one pound two shillings and six- 
 pence towards the alterations of Berkswell meeting-house. 
 Berkswell Friends have subscribed one guinea. The rest to 
 be paid by Coventry Friends."* 
 
 " 1781. It being long since any Friend from Berkswell 
 attended this meeting, we appoint John Seymour, Joseph 
 Seymour, Joseph Heath, John Cash, and Samuel Nevitt, to 
 visit that meeting and enquire if they attend their meetings 
 on first and on week-days." 
 
 "178 1. The Friends appointed visited Berkswell meet- 
 ing, and report that their week-day meeting is dropp'd, and 
 that their first-day meetings are not well attended." 
 
 The meeting was closed in 1783, by the 
 following minute — 
 
 " The Friends of Berkswell Meeting having declined meet- 
 * See ante, p. 47. 
 
138 Fj'iends in Warwickshire. 
 
 ing together there, and this meeting deeming it most con- 
 ducive to the preservation of the reputation of the Society to 
 discontinue or drop the said meeting, it accedes thereto, and 
 Friends are desired to acquaint the Quarterly Meeting there- 
 
 M'ith." 
 
 For thirty years or more after, a meeting 
 was held once a year at Berkswell, or an oc- 
 casional public meeting by a Friend travelling 
 with certificate. 
 
 The meeting-house was in a very dilapidated 
 condition in 1840, and in the following year it 
 was sold by direction of the Coventry Prepar- 
 ative Meeting. 
 
 KENILWORTH MEETING. 
 
 Of the existence at one time of a meeting 
 at Kenilworth there are proofs in a few 
 scattered minutes. In 1713, some Friends at 
 Kelinworth " are mentioned. No further re- 
 ference to this place occurs until 1733, when 
 a minute of the Middle Monthly Meeting 
 records that — 
 
 "Richard Goodall, at the request of Friends, hath taken 
 a place in Kenellvvorth convenient to have a meeting in, and 
 it is left to the consideration of the next Monthly Meeting 
 whether it shall be recorded or not, and the rent and seats 
 paid for by the Monthly Meeting." 
 
 " 1733. Paid Richard Goodall twelve shillings and six- 
 pence for seats at Kelingworth meeting-house. " 
 
Friejids in WarwicksJiire. 139 
 
 1733. Paid to Richard Overton five shillings, \vhich he 
 disburst for recording the meeting-house at Kilingsworth, 
 the copy of which record is in Richard Goodall's hand." 
 
 This meeting-house, so registered, was 
 doubtless of very small dimensions, and con- 
 tinued until the establishment of Berkswell 
 meeting as before mentioned. 
 
 STRATFORD-ON-AVON MEETING. 
 
 No regular meeting-house was ever erected 
 in this place, but in 1704 mention is made of 
 "Stratford Meeting." No further minutes 
 appear until 1723, when the meeting was held 
 once a month. It was probably resuscitated 
 some years later by the removal of other 
 Friends into the town, on whose behalf the 
 accompanying minute Avas made. 
 
 ** 1 731. There being a motion made at this meeting about 
 procuring a suitable place for worship at Stratford, and a 
 likely place being in view, this meeting appoints Richard 
 Overton and Joseph Allen to use what steps they can towards 
 procuring the same, and bring in a report to the next meeting 
 what progress they have made therein." 
 
 A suitable place being found, the Monthly 
 Meeting appealed to the Quarterly Meeting 
 " for help in providing stairs, seats, and making 
 the place more commodious ; " and the needful 
 sum being provided, a meeting was held for 
 some years, but was discontinued before 1752. 
 
140 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 Of the meetings held at Meriden and 
 Bedworth in early days, no records of any 
 kind remain, beyond mention of them in the 
 minutes. The little meeting at Balsall 
 Street continued from 1740 to 1750, when 
 the meeting-house at Berkswell was erected. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A Country Monthly Meeting— Early Minute Book — Care of Poor — 
 Number of Members— Meetings and Meeting-houses of Long Compton 
 Upper Eatington, Brailes, and Radway — Armscot and Shipston-upon-Stour 
 Meetings — George Fox at Armscot, and his imprisonment at Worcester. 
 
 The third monthly meeting estabHshed 
 by Friends in Warwickshire is of as ancient 
 foundation as the two others ; its locaHty is, 
 however, very different. While the North 
 Meeting contained the rapidly-growling town 
 of Birmingham, and the Middle, the flourish- 
 ing, and in earlier days relatively more im- 
 portant towns of Coventry and Warwick, the 
 South Monthly Meeting embraced no market 
 town in its limits, but comprised for about a 
 century and three quarters four small country 
 meetings, lying at some distance from each 
 other. 
 
 No minute book exists of earlier date 
 than 1704, the first page being inscribed as 
 follows: "This book is provided by Friends 
 for a book of records and accounts for this 
 Monthly Meeting, of business relating to the 
 affaires of the church, by these four particular 
 
142 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 meetings, viz. : Long Compton, Radway, 
 Upper Eatington, and Brailes." 
 
 These minutes and accounts are carefully 
 and neatly kept, in connection with each other, 
 the receipts and disbursements of the funds 
 being entered on the same page with the 
 minutes. The first entry runs thus : " Here 
 followeth an account of ye men Friends' col- 
 lection money collected for charitable uses 
 and brought into the men's monthly meetings 
 of business, the time when and the place 
 where." 
 
 These collections, as in the other meetings, 
 were used chiefly for the relief of the poor, of 
 whom the Monthly Meeting at this period 
 comprised its full share. 
 
 "Attye monthly meeting at Long Compton, ye I2th of 
 i2mo, was given for ye poor, viz., Jonathan Beck, 2s. 6d. ; 
 William Teale, 3s. 6d. ; Timothy Newel, I2d. ; Richard 
 Clark, 1 2d. ; William Milloway, 8d. ; John Cragg, 6d. ; 
 Mary Vale, I2d." 
 
 Similar entries to these occur uninterrupt- 
 edly for many years, and varied by very few 
 minutes of historical interest. Other memo- 
 randums relate to payment " for hay and pro- 
 vender for travelling Friends' horses," and 
 " intentions of marriage laid before the meet- 
 ing." 
 
 As may be supposed, much suffering and 
 
Fricjids in Warwickshire. 143 
 
 loss was entailed on the members of the South 
 Monthly Meeting, most of whom were agri- 
 culturists, by the severe exactions of the clergy 
 and churchwardens, for non-payment of tithes 
 and church-rates.* 
 
 Comparing the records of marriages with 
 the other monthly meetings, the number of 
 members comprised in the South Monthly 
 Meeting at the beginning of the eighteenth 
 century may be probably stated at from one 
 hundred and fifty to two hundred. 
 
 " 1705. Att this meeting it was ordered that Thomas 
 Bnller, of Long Compton, doe keep ye accounts of ye men's 
 meeting business for one yeare next ensuing, which when ex- 
 pired each particular meeting is to provide one to keep ye 
 accounts for one yeare, soe oft as it shall come to their turns, 
 viz., from Long Compton to Radway, from Radway to Eat- 
 iiigton, from Eatington to Brailes, from Brailes to Long 
 Compton again." 
 
 " 1706. At our meeting held for the servis of truth at 
 Upper Eatington, Francis Weston and Mary Allin appear- 
 ing, declared their intentions of taking each other in mar- 
 riage ; and this meeting, on consideration, finding nothing to 
 appear to obstruct it, they did freely give their consents that 
 they may apoint a meeting for that end and purpose, if the 
 Lord permit." 
 
 The succeeding minute relates to the So- 
 ciety's application to the legislature, to be 
 relieved from the penal consequences of refusal 
 to take oaths. Much discussion took place in 
 
 * See ante page 33. 
 
144 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 the body as to the proper form of affirmation 
 to be accepted by Friends generally. 
 
 "At a meeting at Radway, a debate was occasioned 
 about the present Solemn Affirmation, being ye 9th day of ye 
 1st month, 1 713, and it was agreed as followeth to send our 
 judgment to the quarterly meeting to be held at Birmingham 
 the 1 8th of the same month. From our monthly meeting 
 held at Radway to the quarterly meeting held at Birmingham 
 at the time apoynted. These are to sertifie the quarterly 
 meeting that we are not willing that the satisfied Friends 
 shall have liberty to solisit ye government for the renewing 
 of ye present Solemn Affirmation at present, but that our 
 unsatisfied Friends shall have liberty to solicit for an amend- 
 ment that may bee to the satisfaction of our Friends in 
 generall." 
 
 As in other parts of Warwickshire, several 
 families of Friends from this district emigrated 
 to America between 1710 and 1720, helping 
 thus early to reduce the numbers in this, the 
 smallest of the three Warwickshire Monthly 
 Meetings. The following was a usual form of 
 certificate given to the emigrants on their de- 
 parture : — 
 
 "At a meeting at Brailes, a certificate was given to 
 Francis Evets, the iith day of ye 3rd month, 1713, as fol- 
 loweth : This may sertifie any one it may or shall conserne 
 that our friend Francis Evets, of Long Compton, having 
 laid before us his intentions of transferring himself and family 
 unto Pennsylvania, and desiring a certificate from our monthly 
 meeting, to which hee doth belong, hee is one that hath been 
 in unity with it this severall yeares, and hath been of sober 
 life so far as we have seen, and we desire all Friends to be 
 
Frie7tds ifi W arwickshire. 
 
 145 
 
 kind to him where his lot may be cast, for we wish him well 
 and desire his prosperity in the truth." 
 
 Minutes relating to the care of the poor, 
 continue not unfrequently for many following- 
 years. 
 
 " 1722. It is agreed by this meeting that a particular and 
 general collection be made for the relief of Thomas and Sarah 
 Hunt, and brought into the next monthly meeting." 
 
 "1722. The aforesaid general collection by each par- 
 
 ticular meeting is as followeth : — 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Long Compton 4 3 
 
 Brailes i 6 
 
 Rcidway 4 8 
 
 Eatington 5 8 
 
 The whole 16 i 
 
 Following similar records, nothing for a con- 
 siderable period is recorded of any historical 
 interest, almost the only minutes referring to 
 " intentions of marriage." 
 
 In 1739 a copy of a certificate given by the 
 monthly meeting to an esteemed minister is 
 as follows : — 
 
 ' ' Whereas, our friend John Beavington hath had a consern 
 upon his mind to go a journey upon ye service of truth, so he 
 desiring a certificate from us, we gave him one, which is as 
 followeth : — 
 
 " From our monthly meeting held at Brayls, in the County 
 of Warwick, the 14th 3 month, 1739. To Friends at Bristol 
 or elsewhere in the south parts of ye nation. 
 
 L 
 
146 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 I 
 
 " Dear Friends, 
 
 ' ' Whereas, our esteemed friend John Beavington of 
 Eatington, has intimated to us the concern and pressure ot 
 mind he has had to visit Friends in those parts. Now these, 
 according to the good order used among us may certifie you 
 that he goes with our concurrence and approbation, having 
 unity with him in his ministry ; his life and conversation being 
 such as adorn.s his doctrine, sober, meek, and inoffensive. 
 So desiring the Lord may be to him mouth and wisdom, 
 tongue and utterance, that he may be able to preach ye gospel 
 boldly in the name of Jesus Christ, which will render his ser- 
 vice acceptable to them that hear him, and give him peace and 
 satisfaction in his labour of love, we conclude, your friends 
 and brethren. — Signed in and on behalf of our said meeting, 
 Sampson SiMxMS, Timothy Taylor, 
 
 TiMMS Archer, John Harris, 
 
 James Groves, Nicholas Harris. 
 
 John Grimes, William Grimes. 
 
 Robert Ashby, 
 
 Delinquent members were patiently borne 
 with, until it became necessary from continued 
 misconduct to disown such. 
 
 *' 1739. Friends having been uneasy at the misconduct of 
 Richard Harrod, and having admonished him, are by this 
 meeting desired to continue their earnest endeavours for his 
 reformation. Jas. Groves in particular is appointed to deal 
 with him." 
 
 " 1739. Richard Harrod, having been again visited, and 
 Friends having hopes that he will reform, further pro- 
 ceedings in that affair is postponed." 
 
 " 1739. Friends of this meeting conclude to bear a little 
 longer with Richard Harrod to see if he will reform ; so this 
 meeting desireth James Groves and Timms Archer to advise 
 him again." 
 
Friends in Warzuickshii^e. 147 
 
 " 1740. A testimony was given forth at this monthly 
 meeting against Richard Harrod for liis disorderly practices. " 
 
 *' 1740. The Friends of each meeting that are free to col- 
 lect for the relief of the poor are desired by this meeting to 
 double their collections, the stock being exhausted. 
 
 There appear to have been four Friends in 
 the station of minister in the South Monthly 
 Meeting at this period. 
 
 " 1743. Ann Groves being concerned to visit Friends in 
 London and some other places, requested a certificate of us in 
 order for her journey ; and so she being in unity with us we 
 gave her one at our meeting at Brayles, the 12 of 7 month. 
 1743." 
 
 " 1744- Our Friend Ann Groves being come off her jour- 
 ney mentioned in ye 12 month last past, returned her certifi- 
 cate, and gave us an agreeable account of ye. good appearance 
 of ye prosperity of truth in ye several parts she travelled thro' 
 and the great satisfaction she found in her sd. visit." 
 
 " 1746. Our Friend John Lawrance having intimated to 
 us his intentions of visiting Friends in the County of Wilts, a 
 certificate was granted him accordingly." 
 
 The following minutes relate to various mat- 
 ters of discipline. 
 
 " 1745. At the request of Eatington Friends, the weekday 
 meeting there is altered from three in the afternoon to ten in 
 the morning on the sixth day of the week." 
 
 " 1745. This meeting agrees that the collection be 
 enlarged six fold next month. " 
 
 " 1747. The Quarterly Meeting recommending a choice 
 of two Friends in each meeting as overseers, this meeting 
 refers the consideration thereof to our next." 
 
 " 1747. This meeting appoints John Marshall and Wm. 
 Bevington, of Eatington, James Groves and John Harris, of 
 
148 
 
 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 Long Compton, John Palmer, of Radway, and Robt. Ashby, 
 of Brails, to be overseers, who, by the authority of that office, 
 are at proper opportunities (either separately, each within the 
 compass of their particular meeting, or jointly, as they shall 
 judge necessary) to visit Friends in their respective families, 
 in order, as occasion offers, to advise, admonish, and assist 
 in any case respecting Truth, and the well-being of society." 
 
 " 1750. Eatington Friends propos'd by way of request to 
 have two meetings on each 1st day of the week ; and this 
 meeting approving thereof, 'twas granted. The time appointed 
 for the sd. meetings to begin, ten and two of the clock." 
 
 " 1751. It appearing difficult to find one or more Friends 
 in each particular meeting to officiate in the office of overseer, 
 this meeting refers it to the consideration of Friends whether 
 there cannot be found two or more in the mo. meeting that 
 may answer the same end. " 
 
 " 1752. The Friends nominated afresh as overseers are 
 John Marshall, of Eatington, John Palmer, of Radway, Robt. 
 Ashby, of Brailes, and John Lawrance and John Smith, for 
 Long Compton." 
 
 " 1752. Long Compton Friends proposed to this meeting 
 the holding a meeting for worship on a first-day evening, and 
 were left to their liberty." 
 
 1753. We being still burdened with charges on account 
 of the poor, the meeting orders our representatives to the 
 ensuing Quarterly meeting to ask for some further assistance." 
 
 *' 1754. Our representatives to the ensuing Quarterly 
 meeting are desired to renew our request of assistance, and if 
 put off as in time past, are further ordered to acquaint the 
 meeting that we intend to ask no more, but consider of some 
 other means for our redress." 
 
 " 1754. Our request of assistance of the Quarterly meet- 
 ing was received according to the order of our last, whereupon 
 it was agreed that the north and middle monthly meetings, 
 each of them advance ten shillings every quarter towards the 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 149 
 
 relief of Mary Lucas, and six pounds towards what is already- 
 contracted. " 
 
 *' 1756. Jno. Marshall and \Vm. Bevington, who stood 
 nominated as overseers at Upper Eatington, being deceased, 
 this meeting appoints John and Jefifery Beavington in their 
 stead." 
 
 The laxity of discipline and neglect of week- 
 day meetings previously referred to on the 
 occasion of the visit of the Yearly Meeting's 
 committee to Warwickshire, is evinced by the 
 minutes of this Monthly Meeting equally with 
 those of the other meetings in the county. 
 
 " 1761. It is desired that Friends of each particular meet- 
 ing will hold preparative meetings, and appoint who shall 
 attend the monthly meeting." 
 
 " 1761. It is recommended to Friends at Brailes and 
 Radway to consider the advice about holding a week-day 
 meeting at each place, received by an epistle from the Quar- 
 terly Meeting." 
 
 " Whereas the week-day meeting at Radway hath for 
 many years been discontinued, this meeting desires it may be 
 revived, which was agreed to be held on the fourth day oi 
 the week." 
 
 ** 1762. This meeting concludes that the Friends that are 
 nominated as overseers shall be deemed as elders, there not 
 being a sufficient number amongst us that are free to serve in 
 that office exclusive of them." 
 
 '* 1 766. Amongst the several Friends that were appointed 
 to attend the Quarterly Meeting, there was but one attended, 
 therefore Friends are desired to be more diligent for the 
 future. " 
 
 A considerable number of disownments for 
 " marrying out " of the society took place at 
 
150 Friends in Warivickshire. 
 
 this period in this monthly meeting, tending 
 still further to lessen the then reducing num- 
 bers of its members. The following form of 
 minute was adopted in most of these cases, 
 which were evidently ranked as very grave 
 dehnquencies. 
 
 " 1766. Whereas William Gibbs, of Stourton, having 
 taken the liberty to be married by the priest, contrary to our 
 established rules ; we therefore no longer have unity with him 
 or own him as a member of our society, uutil by demonstra- 
 tions of unfeigned repentance for his outgoings he regain 
 fellowship with us." 
 
 **I788. The minute which was considered last month, 
 and had been recommended for a considerable time past, 
 respecting visiting Friends and their families hath been pro- 
 ceeded in and accomplished by our esteemed friends John 
 Cash, Susanna Gaylard, and Hannah Lamley, whose labours 
 of love, under the direction, we trust, of best wisdom, was to 
 us acceptable, having made impression on some of our minds, 
 so that a sense thereof we humbly hope will not be lost, but 
 be as bread cast upon the waters, and the good effects thereof 
 appear after many days." 
 
 In 1790 a junction of this monthly meeting 
 with two small neighbouring monthly meet- 
 ings was effected according to the accompany- 
 ing minute. 
 
 ' ' 1 790. Pursuant to the recommendation of a committee 
 appointed by the yearly meeting, with several other Friends 
 appointed by the quarterly meetings of Gloucester and Wilts, 
 Worcester and Warwickshires, it is concluded to discontinue 
 
Friends in Warivickshire. 151 
 
 holding this meeting as heretofore, and join Friends of Ship- 
 ston, Stow, and Campden, and unite into one monthly meet- 
 ing, the first whereof is appointed to be held at Shipston the 
 1st 3rd day in the iith month, to begin at the loth hour." 
 
 " 1790. The following Friends being those appointed, 
 shall continue in the station of elders and overseers — Eating- 
 ton, Jeffery and Bridget Beavington and Martha Beavington ; 
 Long Compton, Thomas Harris; Radway, William and 
 Hannah Palmer ; Shipston, John Lamley and Mary Gilkes ; 
 Campden, Jeffery Beavington." 
 
 But little remains worthy of record in con- 
 nexion with this monthly meeting to the end 
 of the century. Its various meetings probably 
 containing less than half the members than 
 during its first fifty years of existence. 
 
 LONG COMPTON MEETING. 
 
 The village of Long Compton is situated in 
 a cheerful hilly district in the extreme South 
 of Warwickshire. The meeting dates from 
 1670 ; the first meetings being held in a tene- 
 ment adapted for the purpose, which, with 
 some land was purchased for £2^ 15s. The 
 first trustees of this property were Robert 
 Haydon, Richard Buller, Robert Brayne, John 
 Harris, Gervase Harris, Edward Young, Samp- 
 son Simms, and Edward Fowler. 
 
152 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 An evident increase in the number of 
 Friends had taken place on the renewal of the 
 trust in 171 1, when the survivors of the former 
 trustees transferred their trust to "John Bracey, 
 Henry Clark, Sampson Simms the younger, 
 John Simms, Geo. Brayne, William Buller, 
 William Harris, and Joseph Bath, * * * * 
 to and for the use of a burying ground, or 
 place of burial for the people called Quakers, 
 inhabiting in and about Long Compton, and 
 the parts adjacent * * * * and to and 
 for the use of a meeting house or place for 
 meeting for the said people and their friends 
 to meet in for the worship of God, when and 
 as often as they shall think fit, or so long time 
 at the least as the said people called Quakers 
 and their friends shall be permitted quietly 
 and peaceably to meet and assemble therein, 
 and to bury therein, without any legal molesta- 
 tion, disturbance, or interruption of, by or from 
 the civil magistrate. And from and after such 
 time as the said people called Quakers and 
 their friends shall be hindered, and not suffered 
 to meet and assemble therein, or to bury their 
 dead, for or by reason of any such molesta- 
 tion, disturbance, or interruption by or from 
 the civil magistrate, if that should ever happen 
 (which God forbid), then and from thenceforth 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 153 
 
 to and for such other use and service as they, 
 the said trustees, shall think fit." 
 
 No preparative meeting minutes are in exist- 
 ence to afford any insight into the condition 
 of this meeting, probably for many years the 
 largest in the monthly meeting. The trade of 
 wool combing was extensively carried on in 
 Long Compton early in the eighteenth century, 
 several members of the society being occupied 
 in that calling, and others in the general agri- 
 cultural pursuits of the district. 
 
 Friends in Long Compton evidently de- 
 clined in numbers after the middle of the 
 eighteenth century, . emigration to America 
 being one cause. Meetings were discontinued 
 about 1830, the society having become extinct. 
 
 Some years ago the ancient meeting house 
 was disposed of to a private person, but has 
 recently been repurchased. 
 
 EATINGTOX MEETING. 
 
 The village of Upper Eatington, about six 
 miles from Stratford-on-Avon, is situated in a 
 delightful part of Warwickshire, amid charm- 
 ing sylvan uplands. George Fox preached at 
 
154 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 Lambcote in this parish in the very early days 
 of the society in South Warwickshire ; this 
 was in the year 1678, and is probably about 
 the period of the regular establishment of 
 Eatington meeting of Friends. 
 
 We find that in 1681, Samuel Lucas, of 
 Upper Eatington, by will devised to trustees 
 a little close, with the intent that a meeting 
 house for the use of the congregation of the 
 people called Quakers, should on a part of the 
 said ground be built, and that the other part, 
 of the said piece of ground should be used as 
 a burying place." On a renewal of the trust 
 in 1 710, the following persons were appointed 
 as trustees, Edward Smith, Richard BuUer, 
 Samuel Lucas, William Bevington, John Bev- 
 ington, Richard Lucas, Richard Waring, and 
 John Banbury. 
 
 The little meeting house nearly two centu- 
 ries old, is surrounded by tall trees. It has a 
 quaint doorway and oaken door, and with the 
 pleasant graveyard on one side, is a pleasing 
 and picturesque object. Friends could never 
 have been numerous in the neighbourhood, as 
 evidenced by the smallness of their place of 
 worship, though in early days they may have 
 been double or treble the little company who 
 now form the meeting. 
 
 *p 21 ante. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 155 
 
 BRAILES MEETING. 
 
 The secluded village of Brailes is on the 
 road from Banbury to Shipston-on-Stour ; 
 lying in a pleasant valley, at the foot of a bold 
 range of hills dividing the counties of Warwick 
 and Oxon. 
 
 The meeting dates from the year 1678, when 
 some property was purchased for a meeting 
 house and burial ground. The plot of ground 
 was in the first and all subsequent trusts 
 known as Cross Yeat close. The meeting 
 house is very pleasantly situated, and in the 
 twenty years following its erection must have 
 contained a considerable number of worship- 
 pers ; these were subsequently thinned by 
 emigration to America and by death, until the 
 year 1738, when the following minute of the 
 monthly meeting was made. 
 
 ' ' By reason of ye removal of some of the members of 
 Brailes meeting, and the death of some others, that meeting 
 has become very small ; it is therefore proposed to hold a 
 meeting there once a month, on the third First-day of the 
 month, and to have the advice of the Quarterly meeting 
 therein." 
 
 The meetings thus appointed continued 
 monthly until 1761, when another minute ap- 
 points the meetings to be again held weekly. 
 
 "The number of Friends belonging to Brailes meeting 
 
156 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 having considerably increased, it is the judgment of several 
 Friends that it would be proper to hold a meeting there every 
 First-day." 
 
 Nothing else remains on record of interest 
 connected with this meeting. It continued to 
 be held until about 1854, when it was closed, 
 from there being no Friends left resident in its 
 neighbourhood. It is now used by the Wes- 
 leyans. 
 
 RADWAY MEETING. 
 
 Radway is a retired village at the foot of 
 Edge Hill, and about three miles from the 
 small town of Kineton. 
 
 A little body of Friends met in this village 
 in very early days of the society's history, 
 probably in a private house, as no mention is 
 made of a meeting house until 1702. In that 
 year some land was purchased for £20, ex- 
 tending in length, by estimation thirty-four 
 yards, and in breadth fourteen yards, or there- 
 abouts, and north-eastward thereof to the 
 common street or green of Radway." On this 
 land a meeting house was built, the remaining 
 portion serving as a burial ground. 
 
 Except in relation to the renewal of trusts. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 157 
 
 no memorandums remain relating to the fur- 
 ther history of this meeting. Meetings were 
 held here uninterruptedly until about 1850, 
 having been very small for a number of years, 
 when they were discontinued. A few years 
 later the meeting house was sold to a Friend 
 residing in a neighbouring county, whose an- 
 cestors had been interred in the burial ground. 
 
 ARMSCOr MEETING. 
 
 At Armscot no Friends reside, but formany 
 years a meeting for worship has been held by 
 Friends once in the year, in the ancient meet- 
 ing house, known as Armscot General 
 Meeting." It is generally visited on these 
 occasions by several ministers and other 
 Friends of neighbouring counties, and is largely 
 attended by the inhabitants of the surround- 
 ing villages. 
 
 Armscot is further interesting as being the 
 place from which George Fox was taken, in 
 1673, on the occasion of his last imprisonment 
 which took place in Worcester gaol. Being at 
 Adderbury, in Oxfordshire, he says in his 
 journal, "We travelled into Worcestershire, 
 
158 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 and went to John Halford's, at Armscote, 
 where we had a very large and precious meet- 
 ing in his barn, the Lord's powerful presence 
 being eminently with us and among us. After 
 the meeting, Friends having most of them 
 gone, as I was sitting in the parlour discours- 
 ing with some Friends, Henry Parker, a justice, 
 came into the house, and with him one Row- 
 land Haines, a priest of Hunniton, in War- 
 wickshire. This justice heard of the meeting 
 by means of a woman Friend, who being nurse 
 to a child of his, asked leave of her mistress to 
 go to the meeting to see me ; and she, speak- 
 ing of it to her husband, he and the priest 
 plotted together to come and break it up, and 
 apprehend me. But sitting long at dinner, it 
 being the day on which his child was sprinkled, 
 they did not come till the meeting was over 
 and Friends mostly gone. But though there 
 was no meeting when they came, yet I being 
 in the house, who was the person they aimed 
 at, Henry Parker took me and Thomas Lower 
 for company with me : and though he had 
 nothing to lay to our charge, sent us both to 
 Worcester gaol." 
 
 The meeting at Shipston-ON-Stour com- 
 prised until a comparatively recent period a 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 159 
 
 considerable body of Friends, it is now very 
 small. Those of Campden and Stow, added 
 to this monthly meeting at the same time 
 with Shipston meeting, have both been dis- 
 continued for some years. These meetings 
 being situated in the counties of Worcester 
 and Gloucester do not come within the scope 
 of this work. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Ministers in Warwickshire— Numerous in the early part of the eighteenth 
 century— First Record— Brief Memoirs— Education in the Society in 
 Warwickshire. 
 
 It has been already mentioned that in the 
 early part of the eighteenth century the 
 ministers of the Society of Friends in War- 
 wickshire formed a numerous body.* 
 
 The earliest written testimonies concerning 
 deceased ministers were not generally pre- 
 served, either among the Yearly Meeting 
 records or in those of their own Quarterly and 
 Monthly Meetings. The first mention of a 
 deceased minister is to be found in the burial 
 register, and refers to Charles Lloyd, the 
 founder in Birmingham of the respected 
 family of that name, who suffered imprison- 
 ment in the principality of Wales, and in his 
 later years removed to that town, where he 
 died in 1698, and is thus honourably referred 
 to :— 
 
 * ' He was a serviceable man in his day and delighted to 
 see truth prosper and grow amongst Friends. " 
 
 Many of these memorials to departed worth 
 are very simple, while others follow a more 
 
 * See appendix. 
 
Friends in Warivickshire. i6r 
 
 eulogistic strain than was the case in a later 
 period, when the phraseology of the society had 
 become much more measured and cautious, 
 though perhaps, on the other hand, less 
 forcible and convincing. 
 
 In 1 700, there were about twenty recognised 
 ministers in Warwickshire, and, notwithstand- 
 ing the record of several deaths amongst them, 
 the number in 1725 had increased to twenty- 
 five. 
 
 Most of these were persons of marked 
 excellence of character, and much esteemed 
 in their several localities, where they appear to 
 have exercised considerable influence amongst 
 their neighbours. Many of them were diligent 
 gospel labourers, and travelled in the w^ork of 
 the ministry to distant parts of the kingdom. 
 As will be seen in the appendix, almost every 
 meeting, larger or smaller, within the limits of 
 the county, possessed one or more minister in 
 1730. It is also to be noticed how large a 
 number of the Warwickshire ministers died 
 between 1730 and 1750, and the ripe age to 
 which many of them attained. 
 
 In the three larger meetings resided twenty 
 ministers : eight in Birmingham, five in 
 Coventry, and seven in Warwick ; comprising 
 thirteen men and seven women. Among 
 
 M 
 
1 62 Friends m Warwickshire. 
 
 the other ministers in Birmingham, in 1730, 
 would have been seen the venerable Luke 
 Breedon, then in his seventy-first year, who 
 survived ten years longer, and of whom it 
 was said, He suffered much in his younger 
 days in the cause of truth. He was a man 
 who owned but little of this world's goods, 
 but was ' rich in faith.' He had a lively gift in 
 the ministry, which he exercised with boldness 
 and fervour, bringing home with witnessing 
 power the gospel of our Lord and Saviour 
 Jesus Christ, to the hearts of his hearers. He 
 was a servicable man, too, among his neigh- 
 bours, often seeking out the poor and ignorant, 
 and supplying their wants both in temporals 
 and spirituals." 
 
 On the same seat would sit Jonathan Freeth, 
 a Friend about the same age. It is recorded 
 of him, ''That he was religiously inclined 
 from his youth, and diligently attended the 
 meeting at Birmingham,* even in times of 
 persecution, when the doors of the meeting 
 house were closed against Friends, and they 
 were obliged to meet in the highway. He was 
 a man of a very thankful spirit, often advising 
 his friends to dwell much in the love of God. 
 He was a tender and loving father, concerned 
 
 * He resided at Harborne. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 163 
 
 for the good education of his children in the 
 way of truth and righteousness, and his 
 labours, through a blessing, had a good effect, 
 two of his sons having received a gift in the 
 ministry." He was a minister for forty-three 
 years, and died at the age of seventy-seven, 
 in 1738. His son Jonathan was also a 
 minister in Birmingham at the time of his 
 father's death. The other son, Joseph, occu- 
 pied a similar position in Coventry meeting, 
 and died a few years after his father. Joseph 
 Freeth was evidently a gifted man. ''He 
 settled in Coventry about his twenty-fifth 
 year, when it pleased the Lord to afford him 
 a fresh visitation of His love, so that he 
 became very diligent in looking for the way 
 of life and salvation, and by yielding obedience 
 through faith, to the gift of God, he was made 
 partaker of life and peace through our Lord 
 Jesus Christ. In his ministry, he preached 
 the gospel with zeal and fervency, and he 
 was plain, sound, and powerful, and his 
 supplications were frequent, earnest, and 
 fervent. He was of excellent service in the 
 settling the affairs of the church, earnestly 
 desiring that Friends might be influenced by 
 no other feeling than love and zeal for the 
 truth. He was often concerned to visit both 
 
164 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 Friends and others in affliction, to their great 
 comfort and consolation, for he was well 
 taught in the things of God relating to the 
 soul." He died in 1742. 
 
 Of Joshua Sargeant it is said, " He was a 
 servant of Jesus Christ, and a faithful preacher 
 of the gospel at Fulford Heath, and at Bir- 
 mingham. He was a free, open-hearted man, 
 generous and kind and ready to assist those in 
 want, and, like a good Christian, to help those 
 under affliction.'' 
 
 Henry Bradford,* almost the last of the 
 same group of Birmingham worthies, died in 
 1 77 1. He was one of the most energetic 
 members of the society in Warwickshire for a 
 long period. In every concern for its welfare 
 he was always foremost ; he was clerk of his 
 own monthly meeting, and of the quarterly 
 meeting, for many years, and a constant 
 attender of the yearly meetings. He fre- 
 quently travelled in the ministry to distant 
 counties. He was of so generous and charita- 
 ble a disposition that he left but little behind 
 him at his decease. His excellent wife Eliza- 
 beth, who died before her husband, was also 
 an esteemed minister. " He was a man of 
 
 * Bradford Street, in which he resided in his latter years, is named after 
 him. 
 
Friends in Warivickshire. 165 
 
 superior ability in public matters, tempered 
 with a meek and Christian spirit, which con- 
 stantly and conspicuously appeared in his life 
 and conversation. His ministry was lively, and 
 instructive, tending to invite his hearers to love 
 and gratitude to the bounteous author of all our 
 mercies, and that it might be the concern and 
 delight of all to be exercised therein both day 
 and night." He was interred at Wigginshill, 
 the place of his birth. 
 
 Samuel Overton, one of the Warwick minis- 
 ters, was born at Tachbrook, in the year 1688, 
 his parents having united themselves to the 
 then newly-gathered Society of Friends. He 
 was educated " in the way of Truth," and 
 appears also, with a good natural ability, to 
 have acquired considerable school learning. 
 Being the eldest son, he succeeded his father 
 on a considerable freehold farm, called Grove- 
 field in the parish of Hampton Lucy, near War- 
 wick, in the cultivation of which he exercised 
 much skill, to considerable pecuniary -advan- 
 tage, so as to be spoken of as a person of 
 "copious affluence, and died in considerable 
 circumstances," notwithstanding his having 
 creditably brought up a family of seven chil- 
 dren. 
 
 " In his youth he received a visitation from 
 
1 66 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 on high," to which he was obedient, and was 
 led on through various experiences, by the 
 hand of the Lord, until about the year 1695, 
 when he felt himself gifted with a commission 
 to preach the gospel, and in this service he 
 was zealous and faithful almost to the day of 
 his death." 
 
 Samuel Overton had an excellent gift in 
 the ministry, sound in doctrine and mighty in 
 scripture, zealous for spreading the truth, 
 travelling much in the ministry," in various 
 parts of England and Wales. He very fre- 
 quently attended the yearly meetings in 
 London, in which his wise and ripe judgment 
 was valued, as it was equally so in the 
 meetings for discipline in his own county. 
 
 Samuel Overton is further spoken of as one 
 who not only in doctrine zealously and 
 repeatedly recommended a holy and circum- 
 spect life, but was a lively example in his own 
 conversation and conduct ; and that he was 
 also a man of eminently meek spirit, and 
 much loved in his own household. He was 
 kind and liberal to the poor, and his hospitality 
 to his friends and to others was proverbial." 
 
 As an illustration of Samuel Overton's 
 ministry, another extract, in addition to one in 
 a former page, may be given from the pen of 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 167 
 
 his venerable friend and contemporary in the 
 work of the ministry, John Hands.* 
 
 *' And now, ye of the younger sort, my heart goes forth 
 in the pure life and love of our Lord Jesus Christ on your 
 account. ' Begin not to say, we have Abraham to our 
 father ! ' Begin not to say, ' we have been brought up in the 
 way of truth, and our fathers suffered and died for the truth ; 
 we are free men, we are not in bondage.' Yea, but hath the 
 truth made ye free ? Have ye followed Him who is the way, 
 the truth, and the life. Doth He who suffered outside the 
 gates of Jerusalem, rule in your hearts by the power of His 
 Spirit ? He hath knocked ! have ye opened ? Do ye believe 
 to the salvation of your souls ? 
 
 ** O seek ye, dearly-beloved ones, to be coming up in the 
 power and life of true religion. Let not these days of ease 
 seduce your souls from the Avay of peace and holiness. Now 
 Paul saith, ' Covet ye best gifts, ' and, I pray ye, follow this 
 advice. O come up in the truth, that ye may be a faithful 
 seed and witnesses for God in this crooked generation. 
 Square ye your lives and conversations after the pattern 
 shewed us by our blessed Master, Christ. 
 
 ** But sorrow hath oft times been my portion in witnessing 
 in our county, and in the nation, how many of late hath been 
 called to their heavenly rest, who have been faithful public 
 witnesses of the truth in their generation, and how few are 
 coming up in the same holy power to fill their places. Yet is 
 the Lord and His power the same now as when He first 
 gathered us to be a people. Wait then, young people under 
 the everlasting life and power of the Lord, and know that 
 under the cross alone can ye find pardon, peace, light, and 
 life. So shall ye, as ye thus yield, grow up a faithful seed to 
 carry on the Lord's work in the earth, and sound it abroad 
 among the people ; and each in his own particular to have a 
 care and concern, to know daily the power of Christ to be with 
 * See ante page 54. 
 
1 68 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 him, and a growing in grace, and in the blessed knowledge 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 Although Samuel Overton had a lingering 
 illness, he was able to attend meetings for 
 worship, at intervals, nearly to the day of 
 his death, in which he spoke of his speedy 
 removal, and " often appeared very fervently 
 in prayer, that the Lord of the harvest would, 
 out of His abundant goodness, send more 
 labourers thereunto, and desiring that a large 
 measure of spiritual blessing might descend 
 on the rising generation." 
 
 Samuel Overton thus lived and died a 
 faithful servant of Christ and His church." His 
 decease took place on the 23rd 7th mo., 1737, 
 and his remains were attended to their last 
 resting place, at Warwick, by a large con- 
 course of people, so much was he respected, 
 and his departure lamented, by numerous 
 friends and neighbours. He was sixty-nine 
 years of age, and had been engaged in the 
 work of the ministry about forty-three years. 
 
 One or two of Samuel Overton's sons 
 emigrated to America, another became a 
 foreign merchant, but the name soon disap- 
 peared from among Warwickshire Friends. 
 
 John Hands, the worthy contemporary of 
 the last-named Friend, and his senior by 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 169 
 
 eleven years, and who has several times been 
 mentioned in these pages, was a minister in 
 Warwick for the long period of sixty-two 
 years ; his wife also had a gift in the ministry. 
 
 He often spoke to his younger friends of 
 the early days of the society, when nearly all 
 the members of Warwick and Coventry 
 meetings were in prison ; and was very 
 anxious that in a day of liberty they should 
 hold fast to the ever blessed truth for which 
 their forefathers suffered so greatly. He 
 delighted in nothing so much as to see truth 
 prosper and spread in the earth, and friends 
 in unity. His gift in the ministry was not 
 with words of man's wisdom, but in demon- 
 stration of the Spirit ; it was large, and plain, 
 and earnest, tending to excite to faithfulness, 
 and to a diligent love and service of Almighty 
 God." John Hands was a fellmonger by trade, 
 but is said to have been " no eager follower 
 of this world's good," and retiring on a very 
 moderate com.petency, spent all his time in 
 the service of the church. He died in 1739, 
 at the age of eighty-three. 
 
 William Hodges, of Coventry, by profession 
 a notary, full of years and honour among his 
 brethren, departed this life about the same 
 period. 
 
I/O Friends in Warivickshire. 
 
 He was one " whose company was very- 
 acceptable, and his own conduct so watchful 
 and exemplary that he was well qualified to 
 instruct others both in public and private. 
 His conversation was commonly relating to 
 religious subjects, and was instructive and edi- 
 fying. He was no eager pursuer of the world, 
 having by his industry procured a modest com- 
 petency, he was therewith cheerfully content." 
 
 Among the women ministers, Jane Bristow, 
 of Warwick, deserves a brief notice. She was 
 born in the days of the protectorate, and united 
 with the society in a time of severe persecution, 
 about the year 1675 ; on this account she suf- 
 fered much opposition from her father and 
 some other relations. She lived as servant 
 with William Dewsbury for many years, and 
 faithfully managed his business while he was a 
 prisoner, and attended him in his last illness. 
 Her preaching and prayers are described as 
 fervent, " and she mightily desired the Lord's 
 truth might prosper in the hearts of the young, 
 and had a frequent concern to pray to the Al- 
 mighty for a blessing upon children and chil- 
 dren's children of His people." Her memory 
 was long cherished by her survivors with warm 
 affection. She died at the ripe age of eighty- 
 eight, in the year 1742. 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 171 
 
 Ann Scotton, of Coventry, was the wife of 
 Stephen Scotton, a baker by trade. It is writ- 
 ten of her that " she was a tender, affectionate 
 mother, and a sincere friend." That " she had 
 a great love for Friends who travelled in the 
 ministry, and that heart and home were always 
 open to receive them." "She was a woman of 
 good natural understanding, sound in the min- 
 istry, weighty and fervent in prayer, steadfast 
 in the faith and doctrines of our Lord and 
 Saviour Jesus Christ, and she had experienced 
 the virtue and efficacy of His power. She 
 travelled in the ministry, and was very ser- 
 viceable in the women's meetings of business, 
 and adorned the doctrine of God our Saviour 
 by a sober and godly conversation among her 
 neighbours, by whom she was well respected." 
 She died in much peace in the year 1739. 
 
 The testimony relating to John Bevington^ 
 of Eatington, who died in 1755, informs us, 
 " that in his early years he began to run in the 
 paths of virtue and righteousness, and, being 
 of a cheerful, active, generous temper, quick 
 of apprehension, and of sound judgment, he 
 became more than ordinarily useful in his gene- 
 ration as a man, as well as, through divine 
 favour, as a Christian and a minister." In his 
 pubHc testimony he was considered sounds 
 
172 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 lively, and edifying ; carrying with it an evi- 
 dencing power, as from one whose lips had 
 been touched by a live coal from the altar. He 
 travelled much in the ministry in England, 
 Scotland, and Ireland. 
 
 EDUCATION IN THE 17TH CENTURY. 
 
 From the foundation of the Society of 
 Friends an earnest care for the education of 
 their youth was manifested. When the school 
 at Waltham Abbey was established, in the 
 days of George Fox, his oft-quoted words 
 prove his own zeal that the children of the so- 
 ciety should be duly instructed " in all things 
 civil and useful in creation." 
 
 The difficulty in finding schools in which 
 their children might obtain "a guarded educa- 
 tion," is often alluded to in the early history of 
 the society, and hence arose the endeavour, in 
 conformity with yearly meeting and other ad- 
 vices, to establish schools in localities in which 
 Friends were numerous, for the instruction of 
 their children. 
 
 The first mention of such a school is at War- 
 wick, in 1709, when John Crackenthorpe un- 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. 173 
 
 dertook the education of Friends' children, 
 being allowed the use of the meeting house as 
 a school room. In 1710, on his removal, the 
 following minute was made. 
 
 "John Crackenthorpe having laid before this meeting- 
 something of his proposals of removing to Birmingham in 
 order to keep a school there, it's left to the consideration of 
 the next preparative meeting." 
 
 He being finally " left at liberty in this mat- 
 ter," several minutes follow relating to obtain- 
 ing "a suitable house to keep school in," and 
 the meeting also gives its consent that **a 
 suitable schoolmaster should be enquired after, 
 in order to teach school here at Warwick, for 
 Friends' children, and to consider next meet- 
 ing how to raise money for the encouragement 
 of the same." A month or two after, ''James 
 Lennox, of London, being come to this meet- 
 ing, and accepting of the terms offered, was 
 hkewise accepted, and the meeting orders that 
 he should begin the school the 26th of this in- 
 stant (6th month, 17 10), having liberty for the 
 present necessity to teach in the meeting house 
 till further provision be made." These arrange- 
 ments, however, did not take effect, as in the 
 next month the schoolmaster had not entered 
 into his work, and the following proposals 
 were offered for his consideration. 
 
4 
 
 1/4 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 * * First to give him 5 for his encouragement, and for writing 
 in our meetings for business,* Secondly, the meeting will 
 pay for poor Friends' children's schooling. Thirdly, that 
 Friends as are able will pay for the schooling of their own 
 children. Fourthly, Friends will pay him for any particular 
 business they may employ him in. Fifthly, if he thinks to 
 come down, and things do not answer. Friends will pay the 
 charges of his journey from London, &c." 
 
 These proposals being finally accepted, 
 James Lennox entered upon his duties, and 
 *^ agrees to accept 3d. per week for every 
 reader, and if they write, 4d. per week." It 
 does not appear that any other branches of 
 learning were taught, but a house was subse- 
 quently taken, and the school continued a 
 number of years. 
 
 Although the instruction given was so lim- 
 ited, it is evident that the children of Friends, 
 especially those of the poor, were in advance 
 of their neighbours, for there is abundant proof 
 that previous to the days of Joseph Lancaster, 
 a century later, the greater portion of the chil- 
 dren of the poorer classes in England received 
 almost no school education at all.*|- 
 
 The only record of the school at Birming- 
 
 * The schoolmaster, as the best scribe, was often employed as clerk in the 
 meetings for discipline, in the early days of the society. 
 
 t In the Metropolis, and in Bristol, Colchester, and other large towns, 
 boarding schools for Friends' children of a higher class existed; while the 
 Waltham school, in Essex, taught Latin and some modem languages as 
 €arly as 1676. 
 
Friends hi Warwickshire. 175 
 
 ham is that John Crackenthorpe kept a school 
 in the New Row, and taught "reading, writing, 
 and accompts."* 
 
 The minutes of the yearly meeting, from 
 about the year 1700, constantly refer to the 
 need of schools, and a "godly care for the good 
 education of children in the fear, nurture, and 
 admonition of the Lord, in the frequent read- 
 ing of the holy scriptures, and in sobriety, 
 modesty, and plainness of habit and speech, 
 and the due provision for necessary learning, 
 from which no poor Friends' children may be 
 excluded." In 171 3 schools existed at Bir- 
 mingham, Coventry, and Warwick, as reported 
 to the yearly meeting. 
 
 Later in the century the boarding school at 
 Hartshill, conducted by Joseph Crosfield, at- 
 tained considerable celebrity. 
 
 In 1762 a deficiency of schools is referred to, 
 as well as " the neglect of some Friends in not 
 duly putting their children to school," and the 
 excellent Henry Bradford, of Birmingham, 
 proposed the following scheme for the consid- 
 eration of the quarterly meeting. 
 
 ** That a committee be formed to visit the various meetings 
 in the county -where schools are most wanting. Then look 
 out for proper masters, and if they can find some already quali- 
 fied so much the better, but if not, to make choice of some 
 • Ann Street, the site bemg now destined for the new municipal buildings. 
 
1/6 Friends in Warwickshire. 
 
 boys, whose natural genius is inclined to learning, and of sober 
 families, and place these out, by the consent of their parents, 
 at suitable schools until they are duly qualified ; so will each 
 county be capable to provide for itself. " 
 
 This educational difficulty does not appear 
 to have been solved by Henry Bradford's pro- 
 position, and it was not until the establishment 
 of Ackworth school, seventeen years later, in 
 1779, that the question was in some degree set 
 at rest. 
 
 In concluding this humble attempt to bring 
 to light some of the early history of Friends in 
 Warwickshire, it will probably not be deemed 
 unsuitable to append an extract from a ser- 
 mon by William Dewsbury, who has been so 
 frequently referred to in previous pages. It 
 was delivered just after his release from War- 
 wick gaol, and first published in 1694. 
 
 " Will you live as the Quakers.^ Then there 
 must be a resignation of yourselves to the will 
 of God. It was so with the Lord Jesus ; and it 
 is so with every true saint of God : you must 
 be humbled as little children before judgment 
 is taken away and the loving- kindness of God 
 sealed up to your souls. If you seek this 
 work of God, you will find it ; if you seek it 
 
Friends in Warwickshire. ijy 
 
 on your beds, in all your business concern- 
 ments, in all your stations and relations. Then 
 no entanglements shall draw away the heart 
 from serving God, and seeking His glory ; and 
 even in trouble there will be no whining and 
 complaining and crying out, but a praising and 
 a blessing God, and, as Paul said, in everything 
 a giving thanks. 
 
 O, I beseech you people, for the Lord's sake 
 wait for Christ, for His light to guide you ; 
 learn of Him to be meek and lowly. O, make 
 room for Him, make room in your hearts. He 
 loveth to dwell with the poor, the humble, the 
 contrite. Now, my friends, there is not another 
 mediator besides Jesus Christ : it is He alone 
 that can reconcile us to God, and we must be 
 found in Him if we will have acceptance with 
 God. O wait for His power in your meetings, 
 that you may be able to rejoice with joy un- 
 speakable in God your Saviour. This is the 
 true faith ; the apostles faith ; and of the peo- 
 ple of God the world over ! This is the faith 
 of the Quakers, ki spite of the defamations 
 and lies of our adversaries ; this is the faith 
 that overcometh the world." 
 
 N 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 MINISTERS IN WARWICKSHIRE QUARTERLY MEETING 
 DURING THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. * 
 
 Years 
 
 
 
 Died. 
 
 Age. 
 
 in 
 
 
 
 
 Ministry. 
 
 VV Hiicllll ^UUK.U1X1 
 
 
 1707 
 
 
 
 Ann Lloyd 
 
 Birmingham 
 
 1709 
 
 
 
 Sarah Lewis 
 
 
 I715 
 
 
 
 Edward Harris 
 
 Radway 
 
 I719 
 
 
 
 Tobias Edwards 
 
 Warwick, 
 (a prisoner. ) 
 
 I719 
 
 
 
 William Bevington 
 
 Eatington 
 
 T 72 T 
 
 80 
 
 
 Richard Evetts 
 
 Radway 
 
 1722 
 
 
 
 Mary Gulson 
 
 Coventry 
 
 1723 
 
 73 
 
 30 
 
 Joseph Ault 
 
 Baddesley 
 
 1723 
 
 
 
 Ann Sabin 
 
 Baddesley 
 
 1723 
 
 
 
 Francis Bradford 
 
 Wigginshill 
 
 1727 
 
 
 
 Ann Ludford 
 
 Baddesley 
 
 1730 
 
 
 
 William Berry 
 
 Warwick 
 
 1732 
 
 
 
 John Bradford 
 
 Wigginshill 
 
 1734 
 
 
 
 Sion Moor 
 
 Warwick 
 
 1734 
 
 
 
 Daniel Sutton 
 
 Birmingham 
 
 1735 
 
 
 
 Samuel Overton 
 
 Warwick 
 
 1737 
 
 69 
 
 43 
 
 William Hodges 
 
 Coventry 
 
 1737 
 
 70 
 
 II 
 
 Jonathan Freeth 
 
 Birmingham 
 
 1738 
 
 77 
 
 43 
 
 Susannah Allen 
 
 Warwick 
 
 1739 
 
 74 
 
 25 
 
 John Hands 
 
 Warwick 
 
 1739 
 
 83 
 
 62 
 
 Ann S cotton 
 
 Coventry 
 
 1739 
 
 68 
 
 28 
 
 ^ This cannot be clainnied as an entirely complete list, from 
 
 omissions in 
 
 minute books, and, in a few cases, some Friends having discontinued the 
 work of the ministry from various causes. 
 
Appendix. 
 
 1 79 
 
 
 
 
 
 Years 
 
 
 
 Died. 
 
 Age. 
 
 Ministry. 
 
 William Baldwin 
 
 Coventry 
 
 1740 
 
 74 
 
 46 
 
 Luke Breedon 
 
 Birmingham 
 
 1740 
 
 81 
 
 
 Joseph Freeth 
 
 Coventry 
 
 1742 
 
 53 
 
 25 
 
 Jane Briscoe 
 
 Warwick 
 
 1742 
 
 88 
 
 65 
 
 Elizabeth Hands 
 
 Warwick 
 
 1743 
 
 76 
 
 43 
 
 Elizabeth Bevington 
 
 Eatington 
 
 1743 
 
 30 
 
 7 
 
 Joshua Sargeant 
 
 Fulford Heath 
 
 1745 
 
 81 
 
 
 and Birmingham 
 
 
 
 
 Robert Watts 
 
 Warwick 
 
 1747 
 
 
 3 
 
 William Enock 
 
 Harbury 
 
 174S 
 
 79 
 
 54 
 
 Elizabeth Bradford 
 
 Birmingham 
 
 1750 
 
 54 
 
 32 
 
 John Harris 
 
 Coventry 
 
 1751 
 
 
 
 John Bevington 
 
 Eatington 
 
 1755 
 
 65 
 
 40 
 
 Eleanor Clark 
 
 Balsall Street 
 
 1756 
 
 51 
 
 9 
 
 James La%vrance 
 
 Long Compton 
 
 1757 
 
 
 
 Elizabeth Wakeman 
 
 Halesowen, 
 
 1759 
 
 74 
 
 50 
 
 (Birmingham) 
 
 Elizabeth Taylor 
 
 Baddesley 
 
 1760 
 
 
 40 
 
 Ann Groves 
 
 Long Compton 
 
 1761 
 
 
 
 Thomas Robinson 
 
 Birmingham 
 
 1764 
 
 89 
 
 64 
 
 Jonathan Freeth, jun. 
 
 Birmingham 
 
 1765 
 
 
 
 John Hemmings 
 
 Brailes 
 
 1765 
 
 
 
 John Adkins 
 
 Wanvick 
 
 1766 
 
 53 
 
 27 
 
 Elizabeth Lancaster 
 
 Warwick 
 
 1767 
 
 68 
 
 16 
 
 Ann White 
 
 Coventry 
 
 1768 
 
 66 
 
 24 
 
 John Irons 
 
 Harbury 
 
 1769 
 
 70 
 
 30 
 
 Henry Bradford 
 
 Birmingham 
 
 1771 
 
 73 
 
 50 
 
 Samuel Neviit 
 
 Coventry 
 
 1781 
 
 48 
 
 4 
 
 Richard Adkins 
 
 Hartshill 
 
 1782 
 
 62 
 
 
 Deborah Harris 
 
 Long Compton 
 
 1784 
 
 80 
 
 30 
 
 George Boone 
 
 Birmingham 
 
 1785 
 
 55 
 
 35 
 
 Susanah Boone 
 
 Birmingham 
 
 1789 
 
 58 
 
 19 
 
 Mary Lloyd Birmingham (died iu the 19th century.) 
 
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