Society Saturday- The Quaker Experience

The National Society Descendants of Early Quakers met at a tea during Lineage Week.  The is a nice congenial society that always agrees in unity when they conduct business.

The speaker was member David Grinnell, who descends from several Quaker ancestors.  He spoke on the early history of the Quaker movement.  George Fox started the Quaker movement in England in 1645.  He believed that religion was more than reading the bible, but that individuals should listen to the still small inner voice of God.  He also did not believe in required tithing.

By 1651, his beliefs had spread across England and into the colonies.  Quaker meetings were essentially unplanned worship led by God and the Holy Spirit.  This, of course, was offensive to the Puritan ministers who believed in long sermons and tithing.  Ultimately, the Quakers were persecuted for their beliefs.

www.earlyquakers.org 

Society Saturday - The Welcome Fleet

At the Annual meeting of the National Society Descendants of Early Quakers, Dr. George Hill gave us a program about William Penn's Welcome Fleet.  Most people know of the Mayflower and the Winthrop Fleet, but not many have heard of the Welcome Fleet.

This was the fleet of ships carrying William Penn and his Quaker colonists to the new world in 1682.  There were 22 ships of varying sizes and speeds.  Some made the voyage in about a month, the flagship "Welcome" took 57 days.

The passengers were mostly English Quakers, but there were 3 Welsh families.  Unfortunately they were joined by smallpox, which took the lives of 1 in 3 on board (passengers and crew alike).  Ultimately 292 people arrived in New Castle, Delaware.  They settled in Philadelphia.

The Quakers were early abolitionists.  They established the Pennsylvania colony as a place of refuge for all with Quaker ideals.

www.earlyquakers.org

Society Saturday - Anthony Benezet, the father of Atlantic Abolitionism

The Annual meeting of the National Society Descendants of Early Quakers was held as a tea during Lineage Week.  Our guest speaker was Dr. Maurice Jackson who spoke about Anthony Benezet, the father of Atlantic Abolitionism.

Dr. Jackson was an extremely knowledgeable gentleman who is an expert on this interesting man.  Mr. Benezet was a French Huguenot who converted to Quakerism and immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1731.  While there, he started a school to educate former slaves, and founded the world's first Anti-Slavery society.  It was very interesting to learn about the abolitionist movement that was gaining ground a century before the civil war.

http://www.earlyquakers.org/

Society Saturday - Descendants of Early Quakers

On Friday afternoon of Lineage Week, the National Society Descendants of Early Quakers has their annual tea.  This is a group of men and women who can trace their ancestry to a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) prior to 1835. 

Although the organization has no official ties with the Quaker religion, they do try to reflect some of its terminology and practices.  For example, they do not make motions or vote, but instead, "Agree in Unity".  The Officer titles are unique as well.  For example, there is a Presiding Clerk, a Recording Clerk, and a Keeper of the Common Fund.

The Presiding Clerk was Marlene Wilkinson.  She led the meeting through the reports of officers, an election, and a decision to make a charitable donation to Earlham College in Indiana (a Quaker school).

The program was given by Rick Hollis on "Cultivating Simplicity" and was very informative .

After the program, the officers for 2013-15 were installed by Past Presiding Clerk Carole Belcher.  The new National Presiding Clerk is David Stringfellow.

www.earlyquakers.org