A QUAKER CHRONOLOGY
1614 - 1702 Margaret Fell, the ‘Mother of Quakerism’ whose home, Swarthmoor Hall in Cumbria, became the first Quaker centre. Was married to Thomas Fell (1598-1658), a prominent judge, who never became a Quaker himself but did his best to support and protect them
1624 - 1691 George Fox, generally considered the ‘Founding Father’ of the Quaker movement
1644 - 1718 William Penn, founder of the state of Pennsylvania
1652 The birth of Quakerism. George Fox preached to large gathering at Pendle Hill.
1654 The Valiant ‘Sixty’ Quaker preachers set out to spread the message beyond the northern counties (and came to Bristol as well as other places)
1657 The name Quakers given to Friends by others and reluctantly accepted
1662 The Quaker Act provided penalties for those opposed to taking oaths
1664 The Conventicle Act widened the Quaker Act to include other nonconformists and and imposed stiffer penalties. It banned all religious meetings except of the established church
1668 London Yearly Meeting established. Name changed to Britain Yearly Meeting in 1995.
1668 George Fox married Margaret Fell
1678 - 1717 Abraham Darby, developed technique for smelting iron using coke instead of charcoal
1681 Quaker colony in America started by William Penn. It was called Pennsylvania and its capital Philadelphia
1689 The Toleration Act, resulted in release of almost 15,000 imprisoned Quakers
1702 First Friends School founded in Clerkenwell. Later moved to Saffron Waldon (Essex)
1720 - 1772 John Woolman (American), involved in campaign to abolish slavery. Also had
compassionate concern for animals
1756 Quaker control of Pennsylvania relinquished following outbreak of Seven Years War
1780 - 1845 Elizabeth Fry, famed for her reform work at Newgate Prison, London
1793 First use of term Religious Society of Friends in an address to King George III
1796 The Retreat Mental Hospital opened in York by William Tuke
1811 - 1889 John Bright, libertarian and Liberal Party politician
1827 - 1912 Joseph Lister, discovery of antiseptic medicine
1836 - 1925 Joseph Rowntree, philanthropist, reformer and chocolate manufacturer
1839 - 1922 George Cadbury, chocolate manufacturer and founder of Bourneville Village
1845 Launch of the Adult School Movement. Initially consisted mainly of Sunday morning classes for working class people, later broadened into a non-sectarian movement to teach simple skills such as reading and writing
1895 Manchester Conference under inspiration of John Wilhelm Rowntree. Gave birth to the liberal theology tradition of Quakerism, the summer school movement and Woodbrooke College
1903 Woodbrooke College opened in premises donated by George Cadbury
1914 Friends Ambulance Unit formed
1920 First World Conference of Friends
1947 Nobel peace prize awarded jointly to English Friends Service Council and
American Friends Service Committee in recognition of Quaker peace efforts during
and after the Second World War
1973 Department of Peace Studies, Bradford University, established
1981 Quaker tapestry started under inspiration of Ann Wynn-Wilson. Now has permanent home in the Meeting House at Kendal
Chronology compiled by Martin Hartog, 2004
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