Indomitable Mary Fisher 1623-1698

by | Jan 30, 2021 | 1600-1699, Text & Images, Fisher

Mary Attempts to Convert the Sultan

In December of 1651, in the small town of Selby, Yorkshire, a man gave a talk to the Tomlinson family. Invited to listen was their indentured serving maid Mary Fisher (27). The man was George Fox who several years prior, had begun to preach his new religion, later known as Quakerism. George was a year younger than Mary, affable, magnetic and well-spoken.

Mary listened intently and by the end of the talk she had committed her life to the cause of spreading the word of Fox’s simpler, individually defined way of relating to God. Mary lost no time with her quest. Within the year she was imprisoned in York Castle for ‘speaking to a priest.’ She remained there for 16 months.

Mary Fisher
MehmedIV
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Above images: Mary addresses the Sultan; Sultan Mehmed IV (1642-1693), ruler of the Ottoman Empire

Following her release in the autumn of 1653, Mary and Ann Austin, a 50 year old mother of five, arrived at Cambridge University where they admonished the students of the seminary for choosing a life in a church filled with privilege and corruption. The incensed Mayor William Pickering demanded the Constable to “whip them at the Market Cross till the blood ran down their bodies.”

Mary was on a roll. Within two months she was again imprisoned, this time in Castle Garth, York, where she was thrown in with 60 Dutch prisoners of war. The men soon made threatening sexual advances. But the courage shown by Mary and the other Quaker prisoners so moved both the prisoners and their gaolers that they ceased to harass them.

When Mary was again released she set her sights on spreading the word of Quakerism abroad. In 1655, she and her companion Ann Austin boarded a ship in London and became the first Quakers to arrive on the shores of Barbados. Their conversion attempts were not well received by the largely Anglican residents, many of whom were too busy cavorting and drinking good Barbados rum to listen. And I’m guessing that most of them were not of a mind to free their slaves who allowed them the luxury to drink and cavort. However, Mary and Ann did manage to convert the Lieutenant-Governor.

After a brief stay, they must have decided that Barbadians were a hopeless cause and that discretion was the better part of valour, for they sailed for New England. Their ship, the Swallow, docked in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony on the 11th of July, 1656. Word had reached authorities earlier that the women were coming and they were immediately imprisoned without food, water or visitors.

In the last half of the seventeenth century witch-hunts had become common practice in both England and New England. At its peak in England (1645-1647) over a hundred people (largely women) were put to death; in New England, thirteen women and two men were executed in the witch-hunts of 1647 to 1663. In the Salem trials of 1692-1693 20 more were put to death; five died in prison.

The two women, suspected of being witches, were intimately examined for any sign. A mole or any England: Tales of a Time Traveler Part 1 1.24 unusual mark on their skin would be a death sentence. None were found. For five weeks, they were imprisoned. Mary and Ann survived only through the kindness shown by the elderly owner of a Boston inn, Nicholas Upsall, who through bribes, brought the women food and water. The captain of the Swallow was ordered to return the women to Barbados. From there, they found their way back to England.

What happened to Ann at that point, we don’t know. But for Mary, this was merely a test run. She next decided that the entire Muslim world was needful of enlightenment and that the quickest way to convert the unwashed millions of the Ottoman Empire was to convert their leader, Sultan Mehmed IV, aka ‘The Warrior.’

After a lengthy sea voyage, Mary and her five companions arrived at Leghorn (Livorno), northwest Italy. There she sought the help of the English Consul to arrange an audience with the Sultan. The consul quickly realized that such a meeting could result in political disaster for England, in no small measure because the English navy had just the previous year sunk nine of the Sultan’s ships, and too, that Quaker zeal was likely not a good match with Muslim propriety. The consul suggested that her quest was perhaps, unwise. Undaunted, Mary persisted until the harangued official relented; arrangements were made for Mary and her companions to board a ship, then in the harbour, that would take them to the Sultan.

Once underway, Mary discovered that she was the victim of a ruse; the ship was heading only for Venice. However, en route, a terrible storm drove the vessel well to the east of Greece. Mary saw an opportunity. She arranged with the captain for her group to England: Tales of a Time Traveler Part 1 1.25 disembark at Zante in the Greek islands. Mary had learned that the Sultan was not in Constantinople; he and his army were encamped at Adrianople on the modern day border with Greece. At Zante, the party of Quakers went separate ways, leaving Mary to make her way to Adrianople alone. For four or five weeks she walked through Greece, Macedonia and over the mountains of Thrace, relying on the freely given generosity of Greek peasants for food.

In the autumn of 1657, just prior to Mary’s arrival at Adrianople, the Sultan had decided to move his capital from Constantinople, a place he loathed and feared for its disloyal and mutinous elements, to Adrianople. With him came his court and his 20,000 man army, now camped on the outskirts of the city. Two thousand tents were arranged in circles along the banks of the River Moritza. It was a dazzling display of power. In the centre were the sumptuous, gold-embroidered tents of the Sultan Mehmed IV and his Grand Vizier, Köprülü Mehmed Paşa (1575-1661). These central tents together constituted a fabric castle complete with administrative offices, accommodation for pages, summer houses and of course, lavish dwellings for the Sultan and Grand Vizier. The opulence and magnificence of it all took the breath away.

The Sultan (1642-1693) was but sixteen at the time of Mary’s visit. He came to the throne at the age of 6, after his father was killed in a coup. Titles came with a risk. Young Mehmed IV had a rough start. When he was an infant, his parents had a violent argument. In a rage, his father tore him from his mother’s arms and tossed him into a cistern. The harem saved young Mehmed but he wore a scar to remind him that in his world, even family can become deadly enemies.

Mehmed IV came to power in the midst of turmoil. The empire was crippled with internecine struggles, failed foreign campaigns and a demoralized army. The Ottoman’s lost an important battle with the Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold I and a naval battle with the Venetians. Moral among his troops collapsed and the entire Ottoman army walked off. His mother realized that the Ottoman Empire itself was was on the edge of collapse, and that a strong and strategic Grand Vizier was required to retrieve control and reverse Ottoman fortunes. The man she chose was Köprülü Mehmed Paşa.

Köprülü Mehmed Paşa was the revered and feared chieftain of the Albanians,. Köprülü was a strong governor and a man of ruthless reputation. During his five years in office as Grand Vizier, Köprülü had 36,000 influential persons summoned to Constantinople and quietly strangled. By the end of the purge, not a man remained in the empire that could or would offer resistance to the Sultan. Beyond Köprülü’s accomplishments with a garrote, he destroyed the Venetian Fleet (1657), restoring the dominance of the Ottoman Empire in the Region. Enter Mary. Her challenge was to convince Köprülü to grant her an audience with the Sultan. There is no record of Mary’s interview with Köprülü. What we do know is that he heard her out, then advised the young sultan to see her. The following day, Mary, aged 35, was ushered into the throne room with all the pomp and ceremony of a visiting Ambassador. Ranks of servants, guards, eunuchs and pages surrounded the Sultan, all dressed in a splendour of gold-embroidered coats and feathered caps.

Amidst this riot of gold and scarlet stood Mary, dressed in a simple grey frock, her countenance quiet, her deportment confident, her face filled with intelligence, intention and the presence of God. Mary was received by the Sultan with kindness and deference — a sharp contrast to the treatment she had borne at the hands of her countrymen.

In the way of Quakers, Mary said nothing, waiting for the inward light to guide her words. There was an awkward silence. The Sultan offered to dismiss his courtiers, that Mary might feel more disposed to speak. She declined and at length, when the light came to her, Mary conveyed her message. All in the room listened carefully and with gravity until she was done. Then she asked the Sultan if he had understood her message. He replied “Yes, every word of what you have said is truth.”

The Sultan invited Mary to stay in Turkey, and when she declined, he offered her an escort to Constantinople, for the journey was treacherous. Again she declined and made her own way unimpeded. This plucky young woman, Mary Fisher, with her unwavering determination, courage and devotion inspired countless people across centuries to convert to and advance the Quaker cause.

__________________________

Relation: By probability

Mary’s birth year and place of birth are not known. There was, however, a large family of Fishers in Yorkshire in the 1650s. At the time, Mary worked as a household servant for the Tomlinson family. George Fox, founder of Quakerism, was invited to a social at the home to explain his ideas which Mary wholeheartedly embraced. Relative Mary Shackleton Leadbeater, in her Annals of Balitore, a Quaker village in County Kildare, Ireland, makes mention of a visit she and her father Richard Shackleton made to the home of their ‘primitive cousins’ in Selby, Yorkshire. On that basis, I believe Mary Fisher is probably related to Root Spriggs. Yet there is no proof of such.

Miniature Desk William Spriggs

by | Nov 26, 2020 | Incomplete, Text & Images, 1800-1899, Spriggs

Edited from a note written by Hester Spriggs (1905-2004). Find note below.

William Knight (1738-1801) is my 3rd great grandfather.  He was born, married and started a family in London, moving later to Worcester. He married Martha Tesseyman (1741-1816) in 1775. Martha’s family came from York, arriving in London in 1760, when Martha was 19. Hester Spriggs writes

“As Martha Tessyman (also Tessiman) entered London from York in 1760, the bells were tolling for the death of King George II, and the heads of the Scottish rebels were still impaled on the city gates.” (Note: the last Scottish rebellion was 1745!)

The Knights had one child Martha (1777-1866). Martha married William Spriggs (1776-1855) in 1813. About 1790, when William was 14, he built a miniature desk (in my possession) for his friend Martha (13), for whom we can assume, he had a deep affection. Twenty years later they married.

Papal Pinch

by | Jan 29, 2021 | Incomplete, 1600-1699, Text & Images, Chaloner

 

Sir Thomas Chaloner (1559-1615)

Relation: 10th Great Graandfather

Root Family: Spriggs

Early signs 

This story of the Chaloner family and Charles I is, beyond first glance, about the very beginnings of the British Empire — the popular revolt of the people and the creation of a commonwealth (albeit bungled), the trial and beheading of a monarch; the rejection of the Catholic Church with its power, wealth and corruption; the willingness to reach beyond Britain to the world at large for new opportunities and ways of doing things. The old order has cracks in its foundation. Change is in the wind.

The Chaloner family have Welsh roots which go back a thousand years to William the Conqueror. Princes and princesses lay in their family tree. Their expansive estate in Guisborough, Yorkshire, was a gift from King James I for the military support Thomas’s father, also Thomas Chaloner, provided in a successful campaign against the Scots. It is one of those ironies of history, I suppose, that the once magnificent Guisborough Cathedral, was built and funded by Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland on the very ground still owned today by the Chaloner family. Odd, as well, that the following happened which found the once-Royalist Chaloners firmly in the anti-Royalist camp.

Young Thomas was well educated and intellectual, and possessed a magnetic, affable personality and a noble bearing which allowed him to move with ease in high circles. He was a favourite of King James I, who paid Thomas a princely sum for overseeing the education of his son, Prince Henry, Prince of Wales. In 1580, aged 21, Thomas began making extended trips to Italy where he socialized with the nobility and with the learned men of the age. On his return, he quickly became a court favourite and married into an influential family.

On one of his trips to Italy, he visited the alum works in the Papal States. Alum was an economically important commodity in the day and Italy not only had high quality alum, it had plenty of it. Alum, short for ‘aluminum,’ was one of several naturally occurring salts. One form commonly used was aluminum sulphate. Alum was employed for preparing leather, for medicinal applications, as a dye fixative in cloth (of huge importance) and, not insignificant for the under-thirties dating crowd of the day, alum served as an under-arm deodorant.

The pope was no fool. He understood market economics. If you own all of something and everybody wants it, you will very quickly become filthy rich. He did — own it all and become filthy rich. At least he thought he owned it all. Thomas had a cousin, also Thomas Chaloner, who was a naturalist and student of geology. Thomas the naturalist had noticed that where alum deposits lie, a particular clay is found and that the leaves of the trees which grow there are discoloured. Now here’s the thing: Thomas the naturalist discovered several instances of this correlation on the Chaloner’s Guisborogh estate. In other words, he had found alum right on the Challoner property. Perhaps it was this naturalist Thomas who suggested that Thomas the courtier make a trip to Italy and visit the Pope’s alum mines. For if they could come up with a way to acquire the method for processing the alum ore, they could break the Pope’s alum monopoly and become wealthy men indeed.

As legend has it, when Sir Thomas visited the alum mine in Italy, he convinced two key mine workers (with hard, cold cash in hand) to hide in barrels and return with him to England where the men would set up an alum processing plant. Back in Yorkshire, When the Pope was informed of the ruse, he was outraged, issued a curse on Thomas and excommunicated him.

Back home, setting up the processing plant had its challenges but in time usable alum flowed out and the money flowed in. Word quickly got around about the success of the Chaloner alum plant. It got all the way back to King Charles I at the opposite end of England. Charles promptly took over the operation and earned a tidy sum for himself and an indelible place in the hearts of the Chaloners. Alas, regrettably for the king and fortuitously for the Chaloners, the king’s timing was bad.

The English Civil War, fought between the Parliamentarians (power to the people) and the Royalists (power held by the monarch) had just ended in favour of the Parliamentarians, headed effectively, by Oliver Cromwell, who, one year later, as head of the military, dismissed Parliament and declared himself absolute ruler. Cromwell was no monarchist. His view was to eliminate the monarchy altogether.

Charles I was charged with treason for taking up arms against his own people and for looking after his own interests at the expense of the nation. On the 20 January, 1643, the case was brought before the high court in Westminster Hall. The occasion was unprecedented. Never before had a king or queen been tried for a serious crime. A large crowd gathered outside the hall, pressed against partitions built to keep a resentful public at bay. Guards were everywhere in number. Lookouts were posted on every rooftop, every surrounding house and cellar searched. It was a scene from a modern-day American Inauguration.

The Sergeant at Arms rode into the Hall on horseback carrying the mace. Behind him rode six trumpeters. The trumpets blared; the onlookers fell silent. History was about to be made: “Hear ye, hear ye, in the case of …”

Charles was seated facing the members of the High Court. His heart must have skipped a beat to see, seated opposite him with other members of the high court, was Thomas Challoner, son of the Thomas Challoner who brought alum to Britain. Unluckily for Charles, the notion of conflict of interest was not a matter for consideration. The trial commenced.

Charles was less than a cooperative accused. Throughout his four appearances before the court, he refused to answer questions, repeatedly stating that the court had no jurisdiction to try him. Despite Charles unwillingness to cooperate, the result was never in question. The high court found in favour of the Parliamentarians. Charles was condemned to death by decapitation.  Much to his dismay, he was refused any final words and taken forthwith to the Tower of London. Seven days later, the outcome was announced: “guilty” and the death sentence declared.

Eleven years passed, Cromwell had died by natural causes, the republic had collapsed and King Charles II had been returned from exile in France and placed on the throne. Retribution was in order. The surviving regicides (there were 59 signatories on Charles death warrant) were rounded up and tried. Ten were condemned and executed. Three of the key regicides including Oliver Cromwell were exhumed and their heads placed on poles atop Westminster Hall. Cromwell’s remained there for twenty years. Two of Thomas’s brothers were also regicides. What happened to Thomas? With the Royalists back in the driver’s seat, Thomas became a prime target. He left England for Holland never to return. Alum, however, was in Britain to stay.

The rest of the Chaloner family remained untouched by Charles II, perhaps because of their strong Royalist roots and prior important roles they played on behalf of the crown. Gisborough Hall remains in the family today. It operates as a boutique hotel under the watchful eye of Lord Gisborough.

Letter: E Manser to M Spriggs

by | Nov 26, 2020 | Text Only, 1800-1899, Manser, Spriggs

This letter was written by Elizabeth Sarah Manser (1835-1904) to her mother-in-law to be Martha Spriggs née Knight (1777-1866) on the occasion of her engagement to William Spriggs (1821-1899). The letter is a response to Martha’s letter to Elizabeth. I must conclude the date of the letter ought to be 1865, as Martha died 31 Jan 1866 (per Quaker Annual Monitor). See original. Elizabeth lived in Hoddeston (now North London), Martha in Worcester, England.

Hoddeston
November 3rd, 1866

My dear Mother,

I thank thou very sincerely for thy welcome and hand note. It is so pleasant to me. I know that thou likes our engagement and I earnestly desire to have them and thy Sister’s love. I feel that I love you now and doubt not shall do so much more when I know you all intimately. I hope one day thou will comet know us at home. We shall do all in our power to make thee comfortable and I am sure thou will be able to be quite at home, and a change of view  and quiet visit will I hope do thee good after such long anxiety. Mother [sends] her dear love and is much obliged for thy message and will be glad to welcome thee here.

It seems a strange and new position to me to be placed in and at present I can scarcely realize it, but sincerely hope and trust I shall be enabled to make William happy, unworthy as I feel of his deep and devoted affections. I know he has had a very happy home and I feel for thee in losing his companionship but I trust in his case it will be once received into his family ______. I feel sure it will be so and with very much love I remain

Thy truly affectionate,

Elizabeth Sarah Manser

St Bartholomew’s Church, Extract

St Bartholomew’s Church, Extract

by | May 3, 2021 | Pre 1600, Text & Images, Fisher, Manners, Vernon

The inquisition for the feudal aid levied by Edward III in 1346 found a Radulphus de Lingayn holding the manors of Aymestrey and Lower Lye,[17] close to both Lingen and Wigmore in Herefordshire: both estates belonged to the honour of Radnor and were within the large tracts of the Welsh Marches dominated by the Mortimer family of Wigmore Castle. Isabel had Tong and a large portfolio of Trussell estates settled on her for life, which was to lead to prolonged and bitter conflict between the Trussell family and Sir Fulk’s heir, Richard Vernon of Haddon Hall.[18]

The king’s licence gave permission for Isabel, Walter Swan and William Mosse to grant the advowson of the college, once it was securely founded, to Richard Vernon – called in this instance Richard de Penbrugge,[29] presumably to emphasise his kinship to Sir Fulk. In fact he was the grandson of Sir Fulk’s sister, Juliana.[30] Named alongside him was Benedicta de Ludlow, his wife, who was the daughter of Isabel of Lingen. The advowson was to pass to their heirs or, if the Vernon line failed, to a branch of the Ludlow family. However, the Vernons were to hold the advowson, along with Tong manor and castle until well into the next century. They were in this period the wealthiest of the Derbyshire gentry families, closer in income and lifestyle to the nobility than to the rest of the gentry. By the end of the century their estates across eight counties were bringing in well over £600 per year.[31]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Bartholomew%27s_Church,_Tong#Tombs

Haddon Hall Connection

by | Nov 23, 2019 | Pre 1600, Text-emails, Incomplete, Text & Images, Fisher, Manners, Vernon

Haddon Hall

Peter is asked to explain the connection to Haddon Hall   
Have a seat. This is complicated and my tree is a mess of contradictions here which I need to clear up. However, here is how I think it goes….
You and I share great grandparents — William Hayward and Elizabeth (nee) Alexander. Elizabeth’s father was Samuel Alexander (1818-1907). Samuel married Isabella Fisher (1821-1901). The Fishers and the Alexanders seemed to hit it off for Samuel Alexander’s father also married a Fisher. But that’s another story.
We’re interested in the Fisher line here because they lead us to Haddon Hall. Isabella Fisher’s father was Benjamin Fisher (1781-1863). He married Mary Unthank (1783-1855). Now here is an interesting kink: Mary Unthank’s mother was Deborah Richardson (1756-1848). Deborah is our fourth great grandmother and is no doubt related to your father’s Richardsons.

Anyway, we back up to Benjamin Fisher (Deborah’s son), then follow the Fishers back to 1500 when William Fisher (1479-1519) married Mary Vernon (1488-1536). And that’s the connection to Haddon Hall which was owned by the Vernons. William and Mary were our 13th great grand-parents.

As an aside, their son Thomas Fisher (1510-1556) married Elizabeth Brocket (1522-?). The Brockets were a wealthy and influential family in the day and entertained blue bloods including the Queen routinely and the hall was infamous for its racy affairs (Google ‘Brocket Hall. It’s a bed and breakfast for the rich. You’re welcome to spend the night if you don’t mind dropping a grand).
Well, there you have it. A snippet anyway. There are stories galore tucked away in this tree (in every tree!).
Love, Peter
May 14, 2019

 

 

Hi again Peter,

Thanks for the note.
Regarding the Richardson connection.  It is reasonably common name and they could well be connected.  My problem is how does one get from Deborah’s Grandfather, William Richardson, who married Sarah Weston in Limerick in 1719 to the large clan of Richardson’s in the Newcastle area?
Regarding Benjamin Clarke Fisher, I have traced him back to Reuben Fisher,  of Southwark and his wife Joan Howe in the mid 1600s and no further.  The Kinsalebeg history(Google) mentions that the London area Fisher’s extended family included Sir Edward Of Mickleton & London, Sir Thomas of Islington and Sir Clement MP(1661-1669) and a 2nd Baronet.  Clement married (1662) royalist heroine Jane Lane who helped Charles II escape to France.
 Now the connection to Haddon Hall?
All grist for the Ancestry mill.
Regards to all and especially Lucy and James.  Hope you are all well
John

 

 

Hey John,

Re. “how does one get from Deborah’s Grandfather, William Richardson, who married Sarah Weston in Limerick in 1719 to the large clan of Richardson’s in the Newcastle area?” Well I expect they took a boat. Horse-drawn coach across the breadth of England would not be for the faint of heart. Just kidding. I have no idea, I just put it out there as a possibility. As for the Fishers, I go as follows:
Reuben F — Joan Howe
Thomas F (1617) — Mary Price (1621)
Sir Edward Fisher (1587-1654) — Lady Mary Maria Challoner (1590-1642)
Edward Fisher (1562-1628) — Avice Thornhill (1560-1604)
Thomas Richard Fisher (1533-1584) — Anne Brand 1537-)
Thomas Fisher (1510-1556) — Elizabeth Brocket (1522-)
William Fisher (1479-1519) — Mary Vernon (1488-1536) Married 1500
Randall Fisher (1455-) — Elizabeth (here the Fisher trail stops)
Mary Vernon was a co-heiress of Haddon Hall along with her sisters Anne and Dorothy. Dorothy Vernon was the subject of romantic legend (google Dorothy Vernon Haddon Hall). She eloped with a handsome John Manners after her father refused to allow the marriage. Why is unclear. John’s prospects were reasonable. His family had their own castle up the road. His descendent, the current Earl of Rutland, still owns Haddon Hall and his brother lives there. While at Haddon, my concerted attempts to “knock him up” came to naught. Thought we might have a little cousin to cousin chit-chat, but no. Probably busy in the village collecting rents from destitute widows. Or perhaps he was down at the Purple Pear quaffing a pint while the Ferrari got an oil change. In any case, the poor chap missed the chance to make the Canadian Connection. He’ll never know how close he came. Probably best.
Sir Edward Fisher of Mickleton is our man (9th great grandfather). Can’t find the others. Sir Edward and Avice Thornhill had a daughter Francesse. Francesse married Rev Thomas Rose (1619-1692). The Roses, Fishers and Thornhills all lived in Mickleton, a tiny village on the north edge of the Cotswolds and importantly, within striking distance of London. Thomas and Francesse had 11 children, nine of them boys. Oh my. Four of the boys as adults went into business together, capitalizing on their respective skills. Fulke Rose was a medical doctor, John was a merchant sea captain, William was an apothecary and astute money manager, and one or two of the other brothers pitched in where needed.  What played out was a lucrative arrangement. In the 1670s Fulke ran a very profitable medical practice in Jamaica catering to wealthy plantation owners. He also bought a plantation and called on two of his brothers to help manage it. Captain John Rose transported criminals and political prisoners to Jamaica to work off their ten year sentences on the plantations, notably his brother’s. And of course, John got paid for his efforts by the British government. Fulke and Co. got free labour and on the return trip to England, John filled the holds of his two ships with Rose sugar. William managed the proceeds. All in all, it was a shrewd variation of the triangular slave trade.
William has his own claim to fame. Apothecaries in those days routinely treated the ill and injured who lacked the funds to visit a surgeon. He was unable, however, to cure one of his patients of what was likely a sexually transmitted disease. He billed the man steeply for his efforts and the man complained to the College of Surgeons. They took William to court on the grounds that apothecaries were not licensed to practice as medical doctors. He lost but won on appeal, arguing that the poor had no option but to seek the help of apothecaries, as they could not afford a doctor’s fee. Apothecaries, therefore, were carrying out a service essential to the well-being of the community. Apothecaries, as a result of that court case, became the general practitioners of today. The William Rose Prize is given annually to a student who contributes significantly to the history of medicine. William is our 1st cousin 9x removed.
Very interesting to hear about Sir Clement, Jane Lane and the connection to Charles II. I’ll explore that. Thanks for the info John. What fun this is. Hope I didn’t beat you to death with all this. Big hugs, Peter

Haddon Visit

by | Nov 23, 2019 | Pre 1600, Incomplete, Text & Images, Fisher, Manners, Vernon

Sep 12, 2018

Toured Haddon Hall yesterday. Absolutely amazing. Haddon is a large medieval manor house which dates back to the 1100s and which came into the hands of our 26th great grandfather Sir Richard de Vernon with his marriage to Avice Avenell in 1170. Haddon is considered to be the most authentic medieval manor anywhere. Pix attached. Love, Peter and Randi

 

Haddon Hall, Peak District England

Quakers

by | Jan 30, 2021 | 1600-1699, Text & Images, 1700-1799, 1800-1899, Spriggs

The stories of the Spriggs extended family in Britain, for the most part, honour inspiring individuals. Yet there is a remarkable story within those stories — the religion and organization to which many of them belonged, the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers. To the principles of that society, its members were wholly committed: worship God in your own way, treat all men and women equally and care for others. In your dealings with others, be fair and honest and offer good value for money. And devote a portion of your time and energy to building a more humane society. That unwavering moral compass and the mutual support they afforded each other within their religious community gave their members the inspiration and support to accomplish astonishing things, as individuals and as a collective force for social change. Quakers played a major role in dragging the western world out of the dark ages and into the light.

My mother’s extended family lived all over England, in particular, in Yorkshire, the Midlands, London and the west counties. They have deep Irish roots too in Dublin, Belfast, Limerick, Cork, Lancashire and Edinburgh. With few exceptions, they were all Quakers. They were close-knit — they married, socialized and worshiped within the Quaker community — and they were all committed to providing not just social relief, but far-sighted social change.

In the 1600s, there was growing unrest among commoners over the wealth, power and dominance of the Protestant Church. These ‘non-conformists’ were losing the faith in increasing numbers — enough to be seen as a threat by the establishment. Early Quakers (from 1650 on) proved particularly irksome to the authorities and to the non-Quaker community. They were disruptive, loud, ‘my way or the highway’ bible thumpers who refused to swear allegiance or obey the dictates of the church. Predictably, they were heavily persecuted and, routinely prosecuted. Their animals, crops and lands were confiscated. In public squares, their backs were lashed unmercifully and many were imprisoned. Some languished in dank dungeons for years; some never returned. In the early days, Quakers were obliged to hold clandestine meetings in a member’s home, taking the chance that neighbours would not report them.

By the 18th century, persecution was more limited to constraints on what a Quaker could do for a living. They could not hold public office, teach in the universities or work in the military or clergy (nor would they). This, as it happened, served them well, for it required them to make a living as merchants, craftsmen, educators, inventors, industrialists and scientists. Make a living they did. As the Industrial Revolution gained steam (pun intended), Quaker businesses became renowned for innovation, quality and fairness, and they thrived accordingly. Quakers married within the Quaker community and Quaker businesses collaborated for mutual gain. They were devoted to their faith that called them to live a life of integrity, worship, hard work and community service.

Although many Quakers became wealthy, they never forgot their religious commitment to serve the community – not just the Quaker community that required little help, but the community-at-large. They viewed this not as an obligation, but as a strongly-held devotion.

During the Irish potato famine of the 1840s, Quakers were on the streets of all the major cities in Ireland, operating daily soup kitchens that kept thousands from death’s door. Quakers lobbied for prison reform (Elizabeth Fry), for the cessation of press-ganging (kidnapping boys and men to serve on Royal Navy ships), for the abolition of child labour, for better working conditions in the factories and on ships, for the abolition of slavery and opium trading, and for women’s equality.

Quakers valued education and educated with values. For hundreds of years, they built and operated their own schools, seven of which continue to operate in England today. Contrary to the harsh, superficial, rote learning approach to education taken by mainstream school teachers, Quaker teachers encouraged, inspired, invited discussion and spared no resources to provide male and female students with an exceptional education.

In every endeavour, the vision and efforts of Quakers were vastly ahead of their time. Quakers have been, I believe, the most progressive, effective, irrepressible force for social reform in the western world – ever.

No Go At Ludlow

by | Feb 1, 2021 | Pre 1600, Text & Images

Ludlow Castle, Shropshire

Ludlow Castle An hour’s drive to the southwest of St Bartholomew’s Church near the border with Wales is Ludlow Castle. It peaked my interest because Benedicta de Ludlow (1392-1451) is my 16th great grandmother and I assumed there was a connection between her family and the Castle. I know the Ludlows didn’t build it, the Norman castle builder Walter de Lacey did around 1075. Ludlow was the administrative centre for the region and one of a string of castles built along the welsh border to counter incursions by the indomidable Welsh. The name Ludlow was attached to the castle before 1138. It derives from Old English and means ‘a place on a hill (low) by loud (lud) waters.’ Thus, it seems, ‘de Ludlow’ is a reference to the place where Benedicta’s family lived, which may or may not have been the castle.

No matter. It turns out that a generation or so later, in 1501,  another rellie did move into Ludlow castle with his new bride — 16 year old Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester and Duke of Cornwall (to rest the mind, allow me to point out that all four of those gentlemen were Arthur), eldest son of King Henry VII and heir apparent. His bride was Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish princess. It was a marriage arranged by King Henry and the King of Spain to cement the alliance between their nations. These two were the power couple of the day.

Those were tumultuous years. England had been devastated economically and socially by the Hundred Years War (1337-1453). A mere two years after that war ended, civil war broke out in England between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, rival factions of the long-ruling House of Plantagenet. That messy business, called the Wars of the Roses (Lancastrians were associated with the red rose, Yorkists with the white rose) carried on for 32 years, ending in 1487.  Enter King Henry VII, a Lancastrian (they got the last whack) who came up with the brilliant idea to marry Elizabeth of York, effectively joining the two houses and securing domestic peace.

Then Henry upped the ante and arranged for his eldest son Arthur to marry Catherine of Aragon and secure an Anglo-Spanish alliance against France. Things were looking up. With Spain and Britain on the same side, the risk of French aggression would be considerably reduced. Peace meant Henry might even be able to stash a few gold ducets for a rainy day. Hopefully he did, for it wasn’t long before it rained.

Arthur and Catherine set up housekeeping in Ludlow Castle but six months later Arthur died. The cause of death was either not known or not revealed. Either way, Arthur, a healthy, strapping young man was suddenly dead. That put Henry in a bit of a pickle with the King of Spain who was counting on the alliance. Understandably, Britain and the rest of Europe were, by that time, sick to death (pardon the phrase) of blood, guts and rolling heads.

Peace was in the air but marriages were needed to to serve as glue. Henry, resourceful soul that he was, quickly realized he had a groom in reserve — his other son Henry. King Henry made the necessary arrangements for Catherine to switch horses. Her marriage to Arthur was annulled on the basis of failure to consummate. Catherine swore up and down (pardon the phrase) that in the six months she lived with handsome, tall, affable, well-built Arthur, they never had sex. It seemed reasonable. Every one of Henry’s courtiers nodded and agreed, as did the King of Spain. And Catherine lived to see another day, which, as it would later turn out, was more than two other wives of Henry VIII got to do. What she couldn’t have known is that in front of her lay a lifetime of uphill sledding with an obese, brute of a man whom, shall we say, lacked the graces of a Spanish monarch but possessed the cunning of a jackal.

The cause of young Arthur’s death was never uncovered. However, I have my suspicions.

Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales (1486-1502)

Relation to Arthur: 2nd cousin 15x removed

Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536)

Relation: wife of 2nd cousin 15x removed

King Henry VIII (1486-1502)

Relation: stepson of 1st cousin 16x removed

Leather

by | Jan 31, 2021 | Text & Images, 1800-1899, 1900-1999, Richardson (Sprig)

Our tour bus wound down and down off the heights of the North York Moors as we edged our way towards Whitby on Yorkshire’s east coast. There are no shoulders on these roads and no second chances. If you want to be home for dinner, you had best pay attention. As we neared Whitby, we passed through the little village of Great Ayton. It was here in the early 1700s that Captain James Cook (1728-1779) spent the latter years of his childhood.

History of Tanning

The word ‘tanning’ today conjures up images of lying on a tropical white sand beach or less appealing to me, in a proprietor’s well-lit coffin-like box in the midst of a Canadian winter. However, in the 1800s and for a few years before that, tanning meant something entirely different. Tanning was and still is the process by which animal hides are protected from decay and rendered supple for various uses. We call the result of tanning, leather.

Between two million and 100,000 years ago hominids became systematic and successful hunters. As well as hunting tools, they developed tools for fleshing hides. During Ice Ages, they utilized hides for shelters, likely building fires within. Experts surmise that smoke from the fires, over time, tanned the hides, making them reusable over a lengthy period and resulting in the intentional use of smoke-tanning to provide a crude form of leather. Opening day at the Stockton & Darlington Railway, Yorkshire One hundred thousand years ago during the last Great Ice Age, Neanderthal man inhabited Europe. They used advanced hunting and hide processing methods which allowed them to survive and thrive, even in northern tundra. That suggests that they had perfected the making of warm clothing and footwear, that is, that they had knowledge of tanning and possessed skills in making leather products. The weakened small toe bones of 40,000 year old human fossils found in a Missouri cave suggest that sandals were being worn then. Coloured leather, sandals, bags, cushions and leather clothing, dated between 5000 BCE and 2000 BCE have been found in Nubian tombs.

William Richardson (1660-1740)

I could go on but here it is in a nutshell: tanning and leather have been around for a very long time. And most of us will agree that despite the advent of synthetics, there is still nothing like a finely made leather purse or shoe. Up until the late 1800s, leather was widely used for footwear, clothing, harnesses, carriage suspensions, book binding, vellum, fastenings and in large quantities for fitting out sailing ships and factories. There was simply nothing to replace the superior qualities of leather. It is strong, flexible, hard-wearing and waterproof. When Cook’s family arrived in Great Ayton, the Richardsons had been farming the area for one hundred years. They were well landed and well off. Young James Cook left Great Ayton for the history books, but the Richardsons remained. In the late 1600s, William Richardson (1660-1740) made a fateful decision. He decided to supplement his farming income by tanning leather. The new endeavour went so well that it was not long before tanning replaced farming altogether and all three of William’s sons had become tanners. The Richardson Tanneries For the next 300 years, the Richardson name became synonymous with tanning. Generations of sons grew the tanning business at several Yorkshire locations, the largest and most successful of which was at Newcastle-On-Tyne, the famous Edward & James Richardson (est. 1863). By 1913 their factory was enormous. Over the ensuing decades, E&J Richardson produced not only a wide range of tanned leather but almost every conceivable leather product as well. How It’s Done For the curious, here’s how tanning was traditionally done (trap yourself a rat in the backyard and follow along).

The Tanning Process

There were nine stages which could take up to a year to complete: 1. Plug your nose with wads of cotton soaked in Vicks Vapo-Rub (my idea) 2. Preserve the skin with salt 3. Wash the skin to remove the salt 4. Treat the hide with urine or lime 5. Scrape off the flesh, fat and hairs with the hide over a beam 6. Treat the hide with dog or pigeon faeces or animal brains 7. Soak the hide in progressively stronger solutions of tannic acid to prevent decomposition 8. Dry, then treat with wax or oil 9. Find another way to make a living Great Ayton was the perfect place to build tanneries because it had an over-abundance of dog faeces, pigeon droppings, urine and lime — all the essentials for tanning. Tourism, for some reason, never thrived in Great Ayton.

Life Goes On

In the 1970s, Edward and James Richardson could no longer compete profitably in the global marketplace and closed their doors. The Richardsons moved on to other things. Today, Hugh and Tom Richardson of Northumberland, have a thriving ice cream business. From the hides of dead cows to the cream of live cows, life goes on.

 

E&J Richardson Factory, Newcastle-On-Tyne 

Quakers In The Industrial Revolution

by | Feb 1, 2021 | Text Only, 1700-1799, 1800-1899

The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, or First Industrial Revolution, occurred roughly between 1760 and 1840. It was the shift from hand production methods to machines, the use of chemicals in manufacturing, new iron smelting processes, and the application of steam and improved water power technology. This period also saw the advent of machine tools and mechanized factory systems.

Textile production was the dominant industry in terms of the number of people employed, the profits to be made and the amount of capital invested. The textile industry was also the first to use modern production methods. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain and many of its advances were British in origin.

It was the Industrial Revolution which, in large part, powered the growth of the British Empire. In turn, it was the raw materials and cheap labour provided by the colonies along with Britain’s restrictive, monopolistic trade agreements which fed the British engines of industry.

By the mid 18th century, Britain was a global trading empire and the world’s largest economy, backed by the supremacy of the British Navy, the administrative and military might of the East India Company and Rule of Law.

Economic historians largely agree that the Industrial England: Tales of a Time Traveler 3.11 Revolution was the most important event in the history of humanity since the domestication of animals. Its effect on virtually every aspect of daily life was profound. Whether or not it improved the quality of life is up for debate. On the one hand, wages rose significantly and some, for the first time, had access to a wide range of goods unimaginable in years prior. As well, people had steady work which was not subject to the unpredictability of harvests. On the other hand, factory work was often mind-numbing and dangerous, the working day and week were insufferably long, air quality in cities was deplorable, health care and leisure activities for workers were nonexistent and child labour was common. Numerous poor, displaced from farms by the Enclosures Act, were drawn to the cities where they were subject to the whims of self-interested employers and hard-nosed overseers. Generally, the owners got rich; the workers simply survived.

Although the First Industrial Revolution brought with it significant economic and social change during the 1840s and 1850s, the new technologies were not sufficient to drive high and sustained rates of growth. Rapid economic growth really began after 1870 as a second generation of innovations in steel making, mass production, assembly lines, machine tools and steam power were employed. This era became known as the Second Industrial Revolution.

Yet even by the 1830s, the impact of mechanization was massive. Cotton spinning machinery increased a worker’s output by a factor of 500, the power loom by a factor of 40, the cotton gin, which removed seed from cotton, by a factor of 50. Efficiencies in steam

engines reduced energy consumption by up to 90%, the use of coke instead of charcoal significantly reduced the fuel costs of iron-making and the introduction of machine tools led to more precise, sophisticated production machines.

As the power of James Watt’s steam engines improved, Manchester became the epicentre of cotton textile production, largely because of its existing, extensive canal system which could transport the finished product economically.

In 1772, 2000 tons of cotton were being imported per year. By 1816, that figure had risen to 45,000 tons. In 1816 there were 86 cotton mills in Manchester; by 1825 there were 110. Even in this early stage of the Industrial Revolution, the output capacity of these mills was staggering. Edward Baines wrote:

“We may see in a single building a 100 horse power steam engine [which] has the strength of 800 men, set in motion 50,000 spindles. The whole requires the service of but 750 workers [who]…produce as much yarn as former could have … spun [with] 200,000 men….”

Quakers were well equipped to succeed in the new Industrial Age. Quaker schools provided their young men and women with superb educations, unmatched anywhere at the time. Those who chose business as a career could often count on the financial backing of a Quaker bank, family or friends to turn ideas into reality.

Once up and running, Quaker businesses held a significant advantage over their non-Quaker competition — they operated unfailingly from their religious principles. Customers and suppliers had complete confidence that doing business with a Quaker guaranteed one honesty, fairness and quality. Persons working for a Quaker could expect fairness in wages, respect, gender equality and good working conditions. In short, Quaker businesses of the 18th and 19th centuries were lightyears ahead of the times.

Thus, Quakers, some of my family included, thrived in industrialized Britain. Many became wealthy and in return (and contrary to many wealthy non-Quakers), to a person, they gave back to their communities — to their Quaker community as well as the greater community. They provided relief to the poor and lobbied decades on end for abolition, women’s rights, prison reform, worker reform, and the cessation of trade in opium.

By the early 1900s, cities of the midlands region of England — Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, and Birmingham — had collectively become a global manufacturing powerhouse which both contributed to and benefited from the rise of the British Empire.

Ships

by | Jan 31, 2021 | Text & Images, 1800-1899, 1900-1999, Richardson (Sprig)

John Wigham Richardson (1837-1908) was born in Newcastle-On-Tyne to Quakers Edward Richardson and Jane Wigham. He attended Bootham School in York, famous for its high quality education based on Quaker values. John’s nephew, Charles Merz, pioneered electricity distribution, inventing the concept of synchronized grids now used world-wide.

The family business was leather tanning, however John’s interest was shipbuilding. He apprenticed first as a draftsman, then in steam tug construction. In 1860, at age 23, John started his own shipyard, Neptune Works (known widely as Wigham Richardson), with a loan from his father. His was one of the first shipyards to build steel ships. As a pacifist Quaker, John did not build vessels for the British Navy.

In true Quaker fashion, the shipyard’s steam engine also powered the neighbourhood’s electric lights. As well, John’s concern for his worker’s well-being led him to found the Worker’s Benevolent Trust, a precursor to trade unions. In his latter years, John left the Quaker faith and became an Anglican, probably because of pressure from his business partner, Swan Hunter, to bid on lucrative Admiralty contracts.

The first ship built was the 65 foot paddle steamer Victoria, used as a ferry carrying passengers, carts and livestock. As years past, Wigham Richardson’s shipbuilding experience grew with the size and complexity of the ships they built. At the same time, they built marine engines which they used in the ships they constructed and which they sold to other yards on the Tyne and across Europe.

Wigham Richardson went on to build all manner of ships. In 1888, after 28 years in business, they built a four-masted, twin-funnelled ship, 408 feet long, with accommodations for 1040 passengers. From 1895 to 1901 the yard was expanded to 18 acres, allowing the construction of 12 freighters.

 

The company’s timing was exquisite. They got in on the ground floor of steam-driven steel ship building at a time when there was a high demand for efficient marine travel for both cargo and passengers on coastal and trans-oceanic routes. As well, it was a time of mass migration and a desire by the wealthy to travel in style. Large ocean-going vessels with unimaginable amenities became both essential and avant garde. By the early 1900s, however, Wigham Richardson found itself unable to advance to the high-in-demand, lucrative liner contracts. It had the expertise, yet It simply could not raise the required capital alone.

The issue was resolved in 1903 when Wigham Richardson merged with Britain’s other large shipbuilder, Swan and Hunter. The merger was specifically designed to allow the companies to jointly bid on the contract to build the super liner Mauretania for the Cunard Line. Their bid was successful and the new company Swan Hunter Wigham Richardson went on to build many more ships. Between 1906 and 1912 Swan Hunter Wigham Richardson was in its prime, producing the largest tonnage of ships in the world. In 1907, the company’s output in tonnage accounted for 15% of the world’s shipping.

The Mauretania made its maiden voyage in 1907. It held the Atlantic Blue Riband speed record until 1929. During World War I Mauretania was used as a transport and hospital ship. Over her lifetime, she made 269 double crossings of the Atlantic in addition to her work in the war. She was much loved by her loyal patrons. Even today, she is the largest ship ever built on the Tyne.

On July 4, 1935, at 6:30am, she arrived in a half-gale at Rosyth, Scotland to be scrapped. A lone piper stood on the quayside playing a funeral lament. When her great engines were shut down, Mauretania gave a final deep shudder and fell silent. Twenty-eight years of hard service came to a close. The following Sunday, Mauretania was opened to the public for one last time. Twenty thousand people showed up.

John Wigham Richardson (1837-1908)

Relation: 1st cousin 1x removed of husband of greataunt