Above Image: Elizabeth Fry counsels woman prison inmates
Agents of Change
The stories of the Root Spriggs 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 — Dublin, Belfast, Limerick and Cork. 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.