CHAPTER XIV (12)

59. Lady Claypole was the favourite daughter of Oliver Cromwell, who deeply felt her loss, for she died shortly after the period of receiving the letter George Fox addressed to her. Nor was it long before Oliver himself followed her; both he and his daughter dying in the same year.

60. Vane was a conspicuous character at this period. He was strongly attached to a republican government, and opposed Cromwell in his progress towards assuming the reins of government as protector. He was said to be one of the leaders of the Independents. Bishop Burnet, the historian, says of him:—“Though he set up a form of religion in a way of his own, yet it consisted rather in a withdrawing from all other forms, than in any new or particular forms and opinions; from which he and his party were called Seekers, and seemed to wait for some new and clearer manifestations.” James Naylor, in a letter to Margaret Fell, speaks of Vane as “very loving to Friends, but drunk with imaginations.”

61. Thomas Aldam died in 1660, and as this is the last mention of him in this journal, the following particulars may be added:—He resided at Warmsworth, in Yorkshire, and was convinced by George Fox, in 1651, having been previously a great follower of the priests and teachers of the times. But his hungering and thirsting soul not being satisfied amongst them, he left them, and having received the Truth, became valiant for the same, giving up his strength and substance to serve the Lord. Many beatings, reproaches, imprisonments, much spoiling of goods and other sufferings he endured, for Christ’s sake. He was one of the first called a Quaker imprisoned in York castle, in 1652, where he was kept two years and six months, not being suffered once to go home, nor permitted to see his wife, children, or relatives, when they went to visit him. He was also fined during that imprisonment £40, at the assize, for appearing before the judge with his hat on, and saying thee and thou to him. During the same imprisonment for tithes, he was sued at law for treble damages, his property being taken to the value of £42, not leaving one cow to give milk for his young children and family. Many other sufferings did he undergo, which made him have a tender sympathy for others who were sufferers for the Truth, whose cause he often pleaded. He wrote several small works in defence of Truth, and his son, Thomas Aldam, who was also a faithful minister, published a testimony concerning him, in 1690. See Piety Promoted, vol. i., pp. 25-28; vol. iii., p 58.

62. Many were the judgments which overtook the persecutors of the Early Friends, as related in their journals, and the histories of the Society. The following occurred in Scotland, as related in Jaffray’s diary:—“James Skene, who was generally known by the name of ‘White James,’ to distinguish him from a very abusive and wicked man of the same name, called ‘Black James,’ took great delight in inventing malicious slanders against Friends. On one occasion, whilst he was repeating some wicked verses, which he had composed on purpose to defame a worthy and innocent person, he was in that instant suddenly struck down as one dead, and was for some time deprived of his senses. When he recovered, he acknowledged the just judgment of God upon him, confessed the offence he had committed against this innocent people, and gave proof of repentance by ever after abstaining from such practices.”

63. The honest fisherman mentioned here was Nicholas Jose, who was a great sufferer for Christ’s sake, both in loss of goods and imprisonments in Launceston Jail, Pendennis Castle, and other places; indeed scarcely a year passed over without his being called on to suffer severely in some way or other for the testimony of a good conscience. He was imprisoned with twenty-four other Friends, about the year 1682, and continued in confinement till 1685. For an interesting account of this worthy man, see Select Miscellanies vol. iv., 250-255.

64. General Meetings and Yearly Meetings appear to have been somewhat similar in their character. They were held in various parts. The first of which we have any account took place at Swannington, in Leicestershire, in 1654.

65. Some interesting particulars of what passed during Richard Hubberthorn’s interview with the king are related in Sewell’s History, for which see the index of that work.

66. Henry Fell was an eminent minister in the Society. In 1656 and 1658 he visited the West India isles. During the first visit, he was absent from home about a year. From 1659 to 1662, he was mostly engaged in gospel labours in England, and from this period we lose all trace of him. He is mentioned in Whiting’s Catalogue as having died in America. His home was in Lancashire, and there is reason to believe he was a near relative of Judge Fell. He appears to have received an education considerably above most of his day. Some of his letters are given in Bowden’s History of Friends in America, and in Barclay’s Letters of Early Friends.

67. Among the Swarthmore collection of MSS. has been found a narrative of an interview Thomas Moore had with the king, which has been printed in Letters of Early Friends, p. 92, to which the reader is referred. It is endorsed by George Fox thus:—“What the king said to T. Moor, 1600, 14th of 10th month.” It will be remembered Thomas Moor was formerly a justice of the peace, and was convinced by George Fox, as related at page 260 in this volume.

68. This is probably the Friend of whom there is some account in Piety Promoted, vol. ii., p. 71. He was born in Lancashire, and receiving the Truth, became a faithful minister of it, for which he was often imprisoned, and underwent cruel and hard sufferings. In 1670, he went to Barbadoes with John Burnyeat, to preach the gospel in that island, but after having some service there, he was taken ill of a fever, during which he felt great peace and consolation of spirit, and signified “he should die.” He was often praising and glorifying God after this manner: “O! all that is within me praise and magnify the Lord God, who is worthy for ever of all glory; everlasting praises to the God of my life, who only is worthy, and lives over all, and is above all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” He died in much peace and quietness.

69. Richard Sale, the constable who became convinced, was an undaunted reprover of vice. The place in which he lost his life, called “Little Ease,” is described to have been “a hole hewed out in a rock; the breadth across, seventeen inches; from the back to the inside of the great door, at the top, seven inches; at the shoulders, eight inches; at the breast, nine inches and a half; from the top to the bottom, one yard and a half, with a device to lessen the height, as they are minded to torment the persons put in, by drawboards which shoot over the two sides to a yard height, or thereabout.”

Into this place was Richard Sale put several times, in 1656-1657, for three, four, five and eight hours together. Being corpulent, it required the strength of four men to thrust him in. In doing which they crushed him till the blood gushed out of his mouth and nose. He survived the last torture but two months, and died imputing his death to the cruelty of his persecutors.

In this place they tormented many of those who were induced, with, Christian courage, to reprove the vices, either of ministers, magistrates, or people. Richard Costrop, for preaching repentance in the streets, was put in Little Ease till next day, and then, by the Mayor, sent to Bridewell. Thomas Yarwood, who, as the Mayor and Aldermen were going to a customary feast, with music playing before them, dared to remind them wherein real Christianity stood, viz., in true holiness and the fear of the Lord, was sent to Little Ease, and kept there five hours; by which he, being but a weak sickly man was much bruised and hurt. William Sympson, attempting, in Christian love, to exhort the people, after their public preacher had ended his sermon, was first put in the stocks, and afterwards kept in Little Ease nine hours. When, next morning, he complained to the Mayor of his cruel usage, he was sent again to the same place, after the Sheriff, in the Mayor’s presence, had struck him in the face, so that he bled very much. Edward Morgan, complaining to the Mayor against a drunken fellow who had grossly abused him, was sent to Little Ease for not putting off his hat when he made that complaint, and the drunkard went unpunished; as did also a servant who had robbed his master, a Friend, the master being, by this same magistrate, imprisoned eleven weeks, because he would not swear to the fact of the robbery.

70. The persecution of the Quakers in New England, by the Puritans and Independents, who had themselves fled from home to enjoy religious liberty, forms a dreadful story, the very recital of which is revolting to humanity. Some they caused to have their ears cut off; and, amongst many other cruelties, which would fill a volume, they ordered three Quaker women to be stripped to the waist, and flogged through eleven towns, a distance of eighty miles, in all the severity of frost and snow. But, as if this was not enough, they actually hanged three men and one woman for Christ’s sake, who all acquitted themselves, at their awful exit, with that firmness and submission which a Christian martyr is enabled to sustain at such an hour of nature’s extremity, giving full proof of their sincerity and trust in the goodness and support of Him, who had called them to make a public profession of his name before a wicked and perverse generation. Their names were—William Robinson, Marmaduke Stevenson, William Leddra, and Mary Dyer.

On the day appointed for the execution of these innocent victims, they were led to the gallows by military officers, accompanied by a band of about 200 armed men, besides many horsemen—a measure which plainly indicated that some fear of popular indignation was apprehended; and, that no appeal might be made to the feelings of the multitude, a drummer was appointed to march before the condemned persons, to beat the drum, especially when any of them attempted to speak.

Glorious signs of heavenly joy and gladness were visible in the countenances of these holy martyrs, who walked hand in hand to the place where they were to suffer. “This is to me an hour of the greatest joy,” exclaimed Mary Dyer; adding, that no eye could see, no ear could hear, no tongue could utter, no heart could understand, the sweet refreshings of the Spirit of the Lord which she then felt.

Being come to the ladder, and having taken leave of each other with tender affection, they yielded up their lives into the hands of their enemies, Robinson’s last words being, “I suffer for Christ, in whom I live, and for whom I die;” and those of Stevenson, “This day shall we be at rest with the Lord.” William Leddra, patiently submitting himself whilst the executioner put the halter round his neck, said, “I commit my righteous cause unto thee, O God;” and, as he was turned off, died with these words, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” When Mary Dyer ascended the ladder, she was told by some of the standers-by that even now, if she would obey them, she might come down and save her life. But this magnanimous sufferer shrank not from her doom, well knowing in whom, and for whom she was about to die; she contentedly laid down her life, saying, “In obedience to the will of the Lord, I abide faithful unto death.”

For further particulars of the New England persecution, the reader is referred to Sewell’s History; Bowden’s History of Friends in America; Kelty’s Early Days in the Society of Friends; Hodgson’s Historical Memoirs, &c.

71. This Richard Costrop (or Scostrop) was born in 1628. He was originally a sore persecutor of Friends, but becoming convinced of the soundness of their principles, he at length joined the Society, and preached the faith which once he destroyed, travelling for this object into various parts of Europe. he seems to have been chiefly instrumental in establishing the meeting at Scalehouse. He appears to have been a man of some estate, but left all, and spent his days in the service of the gospel. In a document issued by Friends of Settle Monthly Meeting in 1704, it is said of him, “his memory is sweet this day among the brethren.” See Life, &c., of William and Alice Ellis, by James Backhouse, pp. 278, 279, &c.

72. John Perrot was one who at this time caused great distress and trouble to the faithful members of the Society, from giving way to self-importance and extravagant notions. For particulars, the reader is referred to Sewell’s History; and to Hodgson’s Historical Memoirs.