Fox (GEORGE founder of the Society)

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

GEORGE, founder of the Society of Friends; born in Drayton in Leicestershire, England, in July, 1624. His the strict father was a weaver, and by his honesty of his conduct had won from neighbors the sobriquet of "Righteous a boy, was Christer." George, while yet and exemdistinguished by his gravity 20th year of plary conduct. When in the years his age, and for some two or three as havafterward, Fox describes himself state ing been in a very distressed of mind, from which the various prohe apfessors and clergymen to whom to relieve plied for counsel were unable was at him. From this condition he length delivered by that which he resoul garded as the voice of God in his , alone able "to directing him to Christ as after speak to his condition." Very soon ministrathis he commenced his public , and tions at Dukinfield, Manchester his the neighborhood. From the first, many preaching seems to have made opposition. converts and excited much place Fox's first imprisonment took in of his opthe year 1648, in consequence posing the preacher in "the great steeple " on a point house at Nottingham, of imprisoned at doctrine. In 1650 he was blasphemy. Derby under a false charge of Bennet, One of the committing justices, on this occaacted with great violence sion. Cromwell, though himself favor- , seems to able to liberty of conscience hoshave been unable to curb popular which detility launched against a sect nounced all state interferences with religion and maintained that the gospel or should be preached without fee reward. About a month after the restoracommitted tion of Charles II., Fox was to Lancaster Castle "on the charge of peace being a common disturber of the , and of endeavoring to make insurrection ." and embroil the whole kingdom in blood a habeas After lying in jail some months, corpus was obtained, and the authorities showed their disbelief of these grave uncharges by allowing Fox himself, Lonbailed and unguarded, to convey to writ. The don the sheriff's return to the act empowering magistrates to tender the oaths of allegiance and supremacy to any person whom they thought fit to suspect, operated with great severity against the Friends; Fri under its provisions Fox was committed to prison at Lancaster in the beginning of 1664, whence he was removed to Scarborough Castle, In where he lay till the autumn of 1666. 1669 Fox married Margaret Fell, the widow of one of the judges of the Welsh the courts. The year 1670 witnessed Conpassing of the most stringent of the venticle Acts, forbidding under heavy religious penalties the assembling for worship, in any house, of more than four acpersons besides the family, except Church of cording to the usages of the to England. Fox exhorted his friends in Lonfirmness, and himself remained Soon don, to share with their sufferings. severe illness after his recovery from a where he he sailed for Barbadoes, interexerted himself greatly in the After ests of religion and humanity. a considerable time spent in Barbadoes, conti- Jamaica, and the North American in 1673. nent, he returned to England awaited him Here further persecutions . He underwent 14 months' imprisonment, Court and was at length liberated by the errors of King's Bench on account of the in company in his indictment. In 1677, had joined with Penn and Barclay, who , he paid the Society about 10 years before some parts of a visit to Holland and to Germany, where his services seem last 15 have been well received. The as regards years of his life were tranquil personal molestation. Persecution of the reign Quakers continued throughout by of Charles II.; and though James, a prerogative, ordered stretch of the royal imprisoned for a general release of those toleration of conscience's sake, the legal reign. dissent was reserved for the next and Mary In the first year of William which nullified the was passed the bill the Friends Conventicle Acts, and allowed in lieu of to make a solemn declaration had the gratitaking the oaths, and Fox fication of seeing the public worship of the Society legally recognized before his death. He died in London, Jan. 13, 1690. See FRIENDS, SOCIETY OF.