The Society of Friends was founded by George Fox during the
mid-17th century. The name 'Quaker' was first applied to Fox and
his group by a JP in Derby in 1650, when Fox, who was on trial,
ordered the court to "tremble at the word of the Lord." Quakers
reject the concept of priesthood, so their meetings tend to lack
the rituals found in other churches, and their buildings are
plain.
Quakers kept detailed records of the births, marriages and
deaths of members of their congregations. The original registers
(the ones surrendered to the government) are now held at the
National Archives in Kew.
In relation to Peterborough, although there are passing
references to a small number of Quakers being resident in the
vicinity of Peterborough in the 17th century, and again in the mid
19thcentury, no tradition of a congregation (or 'Meeting') occurs
until the early years of the twentieth century. The Peterborough
Meeting was founded in 1907, but numbers were still very small, and
they met on and off for the next 30 years in hired rooms. It was
not until Baker Perkins closed their Willesden factory and
transferred the staff to Peterborough in 1933, that an influx of
people with Quaker beliefs occurred, creating a stable and viable
'Meeting'. The immediate result was the building of the Meeting
House in Thorpe Road, which opened for worship in April 1936.
Printed source:
A short history of the Religious Society of Friends
(Quakers) in Peterborough. [The Peterborough Meeting,
1986].
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