Every June 13th, the Uxbridge Quaker Meeting House hosts an annual service. This year, on its 212th anniversary service (and 201st anniversary of the meeting house), Chair Rob Croxall and several committee friends worked to provide an online service that can be viewed via YouTube.
Built in 1820 on Quaker Hill to replace the former log meeting house, the current Uxbridge Quaker Meeting House is the oldest building in Uxbridge Township, Ontario.
To read more about Uxbridge heritage, you can find Allan McGillivray’s talk on Uxbridge Friends from CFHA’s 2004 annual meeting here. If you’re interested in reading about how CFHA co-founder Kathleen Hertzberg became involved with the Uxbridge Meeting House, her 2004 account can be found here.
Photo of the Uxbridge Meeting House, May 2019. Photo courtesy of the Uxbridge Quaker Meeting House Facebook page.
A reminder that the online Conference of Quaker Historians and Archivists begins next week June 24–26! This conference is usually held in person so this is an exciting opportunity for everyone to attend online. If you haven’t yet registered, you can do so here.
The virtual conference will meet 11:00–4:00pm EDT each day via Zoom and includes presentation sessions as well as online cafe gatherings before, between, or after core sessions to provide opportunities for discussion.
Presentations at CQHA, organized into thematic sessions, address aspects of Quaker history across all time periods and locations. Since this year’s program builds on the postponed 2020 conference that would have taken place at Earlham College in Indiana, CQHA is pleased to include several presentations related to Quakers and the American Midwest. In addition, they have been able to take advantage of the virtual format to invite colleagues from several continents to participate in a series of special sessions on historiography and archives in Quaker historical studies. The full CQHA program is available here.
Moore Family Reunion and Presentations 2021 July 17, 2021 via Zoom
All are welcome to attend the upcoming 2021 Moore Family Reunion, which includes three presentations that are of note to CFHA members. This event is a gathering of the descendants and friends of Samuel Moore I, of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Province of New Jersey, born c. 1630, and his great-grandson, United Empire Loyalist Samuel Moore of Upper Canada, formerly of the Provinces of New Jersey and Nova Scotia, born 1742, died 1822, Norwich Upper Canada.
Saturday, July 17, 2021 Informal meet and greet, 1:30-2:00 p.m., ET
Welcome, Introductions 3 Presentations, each followed by discussion and a break (topics below) 2:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. ET
Presentation topics: 1 – “The Flushing Remonstrance: An Examination of Founding Contributions Made by the Colonial Ancestors of the Moore and Hicks Families to the Establishment of Now Universally Recognized Rights and Freedoms, Including Freedoms of Speech, Assembly and Religion” by John Hicks.
This talk addresses the Flushing Remonstrance, a 1657 petition to the Director-General of New Netherland Peter Stuyvesant, where thirty residents of Flushing (now a neighbourhood in NYC) requested an exemption to the ban he implemented on Quaker worship. This was an area where Quaker missionaries were often sent, and where Quaker Robert Hodgson was was arrested and imprisoned for preaching. Though none of the signees were Quakers, they believed in the fundamental right of freedom of religion. The Flushing Remonstrance is often regarded as a precursor to the freedom of religion clause in the 1789 US Bill of Rights. The Flushing Remonstrance begins with:
Remonstrance of the magistrates and inhabitants of Flushing, L. I. (with names), against the law against Quakers, 27 December 1657. Photo courtesy of the New York State Archives.
Right Honorable, You have been pleased to send unto us a certain prohibition or command that we should not receive or entertain any of those people called Quakers because they are supposed to be, by some, seducers of the people. For our part we cannot condemn them in this case, neither can we stretch out our hands against them, for out of Christ God is a consuming fire, and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
2- “Whence Cometh Samuel?: Tracing the Lineage of the Honourable Samuel Moore I, of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Province of New Jersey” by Bob Moore.
3- “Colonialism, Fundamental Freedoms, and Connection to the Land: How Understanding the Ancestors Deepens Our Sense of Belonging in the New World” by M. Jane Fairburn.
We look forward to sharing stories and insights into the rich historical tradition of the Moore family in North America, all without the distance restrictions! Please share this invitation with those who might be interested.
You can attend this Zoom reunion via computer or telephone (computer preferred so you can see the participants and presenters) Contact Donna Moore to receive the Zoom link ([email protected]) 519-850-7224 Donna Moore
In this month’s Founders and Builders Series, we introduce you to Gordon Thompson. Anyone involved with CFHA has undoubtedly worked with Gordon. Gord has invested his time and shepherded the CFHA through the last number of years. He has served as chair for many years, has written countless articles for the Canadian Quaker History Journal and The Meetinghouse, served as The Meethinghouse Editor, singlehandedly organized many Annual General Meeting tours, and remains committed to sharing the story of Quakers in Canadian history. He currently leads the Friendly Fridays sessions, and is serving as co-chair with Jeffrey Dudiak. Gord’s unwavering dedication to the CFHA has ensured its continual growth and success.
Gordon Thompson By Donna Moore
Dedicated. Knowledgeable. Visionary. If you were to sit down over coffee with Gordon Thompson, Co-Chair of the Canadian Friends Historical Association, you would sense these qualities about him.
Photo of Gord Thompson. This photo first appeared in The Meetinghouse, 2011-2.
I did sit down with Gord over coffee linked by a phone line to ask him about his background and what led him to his CFHA involvement. What Gord shared with me included a number of pivotal experiences that contributed to who he is as a person.
Gord was born in Sudbury Ontario, the first child of parents who at that time lived a rather nomadic life due to his father’s work installing telephone switching devices across Canada. Some of Gord’s earliest memories are from when they lived in Calgary, and he learned about dinosaurs at a local park dedicated to the subject. His visit to this park as well as his later adult discovery of many fossils in Alberta cultivated in him a lifelong interest in paleontology and archaeology. Years later, during Grade 8 in Belleville, Ontario, he found a piece of a fossilized Trilobite (extinct marine artiopodan arthropods who lived millions of years before dinosaurs) unearthed by people putting in a telephone pole. Gord was thrilled to find this item. These various experiences contributed to Gord’s early understanding of the historical record and context of our world.
Gord’s family lived close to a Baptist church in Belleville, and his parents decided that this would be a good place to introduce him to the Christian faith. He remembers sensing a link between the Trilobite fossil and church. Gord noted that extinct forms of life he had personally encountered as fossils were not mentioned in the Genesis account. Gord had an appreciation that the book of Genesis could not be a full accounting of the events of the world, but was an attempt to explain, to the best of the ability of those who wrote it, how life came to be, how humans came to be, in a cosmic and spiritual setting. Gord believed the writers of Genesis did not have the whole story, whereas the fossils filled in missing parts of the Genesis story for him, and the fossils did not say anything about God other than there is more to the story.
One summer Gord volunteered with the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) on a week-long industrial archaeological dig located at Port Ryerse. During this experience, Gord learned excavation skills and received practical experience on a site that included the foundation of a pioneer pottery kiln that the farmer/potter constructed to fire his pots for local sale.
Two years later, Gord again volunteered on another industrial archaeological site: Huron Pottery, located in Egmondville, Ontario. That excursion introduced him for the first time to a Quaker, David Newlands. The manner by which David related to people including the volunteer excavation crew, the local landowners, and curious members of the local population who visited the site made a very positive impression on Gord. Once Gord learned that David was a Quaker, he appreciated how David and his family provided examples of individuals whose lives quite literally did speak.
Another important personal discovery of Gord’s in the 1970s was that of the Bruce Trail. Gord found hiking along it a liberating and spiritually nurturing experience. It removed him from a totally linear experience of life such as roads and sidewalks. The trail wound itself like a river, through many different habitats. Gord’s appreciation of the created world was only enhanced.
So, those early years were highlighted by three pivotal and complementary experiences: archaeology/paleontology, the Bruce Trail, and David Newlands and his family, Quakers.
Gord remembers his first visits to the Yonge Street Meeting House in Newmarket. It was winter, and inside was chilly since the only source of heat was the fire in the large wood-burning stove in a Meeting House which had never been upgraded in the 175 years since it was originally constructed.
It is notable to mention that David undertook an immense project to raise $150,000 for the purpose of jacking up the existing Yonge Street Meetinghouse (YSMH), shifting it so that a basement foundation that had never existed could be constructed and modern conveniences like electricity, central heating, and water could be added. David’s success in this task spoke to his marvellous relationships and organizational skills. Thanks to his work and that of generous donors, the project objectives were realized, and YSMH has enjoyed these benefits ever since.
Through David and other Friends, Gord was introduced to CFHA. At that time, many aspects of Quaker history were under threat of being lost. At that time, it was only twenty years after from the reunification of the three traditional yearly meetings: Hicksite, Conservative, and Orthodox. Gord realized that the spiritual experience of early Friends in Canada found expression in all aspects of the historic records, including built heritage, personal accounts, material artifacts such as clothing, minute books, and other documentation.
During the 1980s, life demands and expanded time spent in the outdoors removed Gord from an active relationship with Friends and CFHA. In the late 1990s, Gord found himself with a renewed interest in Quaker faith and practice and CFHA. The objectives of the CFHA work impressed Gord with its potential and value to existing Friends and the wider community of historians, descendants, and those wishing to broaden their knowledge of Quakers in Canada. He started to read extensively the writings of early Friends, including George Fox’s journal. Gord understood in a deeper sense that these writings formed the essential foundation that informed the Quaker legacy that was of concern to CFHA. Gord told me that he has appreciated the opportunity to work with others of like mind and concern in a spirt of close fellowship and mutual enrichment.
Gord in 2014 at the Quinte Genealogical Centre in the Quinte West Public Library, looking at the Bowerman family history records. Photo by Cheryl Levy.
Gord noted that CFHA provides a model of an organization that is operated by Quaker principles. For example, CFHA meetings are held in the manner of Friends, whereby business decision making is the product of careful discernment which leads to unity on actions to be taken. The important work performed by the volunteers of CFHA is deserving of support.
CFHA’s mission statement is to preserve and communicate the on-going history and faith of Friends in Canada and their contribution to the Canadian experience. There is no other national organization which has identified this preservation and communication as its primary objective, and this makes CFHA rather unique. Nonetheless, it is this very preservation and communication of the faith and spiritual experiences of early Friends which brings a fuller appreciation and life to the historic details available.
Gord strongly believes that the spiritual experiences of the early Friends in Canada speak to our present times. The records of the lived experiences of these Friends reveal the unique manner in which their spiritual faith and practice equipped them to deal with the daunting challenges of pioneer life. The unique perspective and spiritual understandings of these Quakers provide inspiring examples of the human response to the daily realities of human experience then and now. As a result, the historical legacy of Quakers in Canada includes much more than mere historical information. The challenges of our present day may appear different than those encountered by the early Quakers in Canada, but the solutions employed by the early pioneers may prove as inspiring and effective now as they did then.
Photo of Gordon Thompson and CYM Archives Committee Chair Joyce Holwerda in 2018 signing an historic cooperation agreement for the transcription and posting of historical documents held in the CYM Archives. Photo by Heather Somers.
CFHA is a forward looking and positive organization, proud of its achievements over the past fifty years. It has recently sought to incorporate current internet and social media technologies to their best advantage. Exciting opportunities to greatly expand the efforts to preserve and communicate Quaker legacy through digitization and electronic archiving are opening up and are being actively incorporated into our capabilities. We encourage all who have any interest in the important legacy of Quakers in Canada to support our efforts either financially or by sharing information and historic heritage material with us, or both.
During our conversation, Gord then reflected on a personal interest of his. Since high school days, Gord has appreciated the classical Japanese haiku form of poetic expression. Although he sometimes employs the format in his own short expression of insights, we concluded our interview with Gord sharing an example relevant to CFHA:
We are thrilled to bring three translated articles from the Quaker Journal of German Friends (“QUÄKER, Zeitschrift der deutschen Freunde), to the blog over the next few weeks. Graciously translated into English by Birgit Adolph and reviewed by Rosemary Meier, the three articles discuss early Quakerism in Germany, nineteenth century Quakerism, and Quakers in twentieth-century Germany. Written by Lutz Caspers, the articles were originally published in 2015 to celebrate the ninetieth anniversary of the German Yearly Meeting. The articles are reproduced here with the permission of both the author and the journal.
Canadian Quaker meetings had a number of German connections throughout the twentieth century. Notably, one of CFHA’s founders, Kathleen Schmitz-Hertzberg, visited Germany pre-World War Two out of her concern to contribute to Quaker service for international peace and reconciliation. In Robynne Rogers Healey’s 2009 article in the Canadian Quaker History Journal, “A Quaker Concern for Pre-World War Two Germany: Kathleen Hertzberg’s ‘Report of Visit to Germany, 14 April 1938 – 18 January 1939,’” Healey details Kathleen’s time in Germany where she attended the German Yearly Meeting in August 1938 and heard Thomas Kelly deliver his classic lecture, “The Eternal Now.” It was also in Kassel, Germany where Kathleen met her husband, Fritz Hertzberg, though war would separate them for many years. Healey writes that Kathleen’s time in Germany laid the foundations of her life, where Kathleen’s experiences in Nazi Germany ignited her lifelong commitment to the Quaker Peace Testimony.
Additionally, the Yonge St Monthly Meeting began sending aid to Frankfurt in 1946 consistently until 1949 through the Care Relief Agency in New York. They sent donations to Leonore Burnitz, founder of the Friends’ Work in Frankfurt, and through British Friend Dorothy Henkel. The main contact in the meeting appeared to be Maria Wolfe, a German immigrant who joined the Yonge St Meeting in 1930. Maria worked as treasurer for the meeting and was instrumental in their relief work. For more on the Yonge St Monthly Meeting and German aid, see the Yonge St Monthly Meeting Minutes, 1943–1949, and 1950-1960, on our transcriptions page.
“90 Years of the German Annual Meeting. Part III: The 20th Century: Towards the Founding of the German Yearly Meeting,” Quaker Journal of German Friends 5, (2015): 211–213.
Lutz Caspers
German citation: Lutz Caspers, “90 Jahre deutsche Jahresversammlung. Teil III: Das 20. Jahrhundert: Auf dem Weg zur Gründung einer Deutschen Jahresversammlung,” QUÄKER, Zeitschrift der deutschen Freunde 5, (2015): 211–213.
Have there been Friends in Germany since 1925? No, they already have existed even earlier in the 20th century. The new beginnings of Friends in the last century are strongly intertwined with the work of British and American Quakers. A group of friends of Quakerism started meeting in Wetzlar as early as August 1919, among them Joan Mary Fry and Alfons Paquet. They discussed publications on educational tasks based on the peace testimony. In Berlin, in the Mohrenstrasse, the “Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) – German Committee” opened an office. In the summer of 1920, a follow-up meeting of Friends took place in Tambach-Dietharz. All participants had to bring food stamps for bread, meat, and sugar. Henry Cadbury was one of the participants. They discussed the idea and desirability of establishing a “Society of Friends in Germany.”
Later that year, a meeting was held in Gelnhaar. For the first time, Corder and Gwen Catchpool took part. In 1921, the “Mitteilungen” newsletters were published weekly for the first time. In 1922, a Quaker conference with ninety-five participants took place in Elberfeld. In 1923, 250 Friends from all parts of Germany gathered in Eisenach. There was no longer the need to learn more about Quakerism, as this had been accomplished, but to achieve a means for collective impact with neither sectarian dogma nor formal association. It was all about “a small but down-to-earth seedling in German soil,” as it was described in the new September 1923 “Communications for Friends of Quakerism in Germany.” Among others, Emil Fuchs and Elisabeth Rotten were present in Eisenach. A work committee of ten Friends was formed to oversee the next steps. The Friends gathered in Eisenach particularly thanked the English Quakers who had openly opposed the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. Opinions on how to develop Quakerism in Germany differed widely. For example, one of the groups favored joining an English or American society. It was also in 1923 that the Quaker publishing house celebrated its first anniversary.
In early 1924, the “Mitteilungen” newsletters reported on Quaker groups in Magdeburg, Breslau, Leipzig, Glauchau, Elberfeld, Altenbochum, Berlin, Kassel, Cologne, Krefeld, Darmstadt, Eisenach, Essen, Frankfurt, Fürth, Gröba, Hamburg, Königstein, Nürnberg, Rostock, Stuttgart, and Leipzig.
In the summer of 1924, a further meeting took place in Frankfurt. The seventy-five participants consisted not only of Friends, but rather of “a wider circle of people whom meetings with Quakers had caused to join together in loosely tied groups for work and prayer.” This meeting led to the formation of an “Association for the Unification of the German Members of the Society of Friends.” That same year in Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, 180 people took part in a meeting, among them thirty participants from abroad. This meeting determined the form and constitution of the “Bundes deutscher Freunde” (Association of German Friends). Hans Albrecht said: “We are neither companions in times of need nor a Peace Society, but rather a ‘Religious Society of Friends.’ Alleviation of poverty and pacifism are the outcome of Quaker principles, but not the origins of it.” As Quaker relief was coming to an end, Albrecht proposed the “establishment of an English and American Quaker office.”
These preparations led to the founding meeting in Eisenach in 1925. Here, it was stated: “The meeting of the German members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), held at Eisenach on July 22nd and 23rd of 1925, after thorough discussion of the present situation, agree upon the necessity of establishing a German Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends (Quakers). Our decision acknowledges the fact that German Friends are just at the beginnings of Quakerism.
We trust that the Spirit guiding the Society of Friends will also provide us with the strength to live our lives in truth and love. In the past years, the Society of Friends in England and America have provided us with steady support which we have received with gratitude. We hope to continue this friendship and ask for further support in order to develop into a solid branch of the Society of Friends spreading the message of Jesus Christ.
Membership: new members may join the Society of Friends at the Yearly Meeting. Applications may be sent directly or indirectly to the secretary. Together with the local Friends, the secretary will make inquiries about the applicant and provide a report to the Yearly Meeting. No decision may yet be made concerning birth-right membership. This topic needs further discussion.
The members of the work committee are to encourage the establishment of local Meetings (if not already formed), and to foster connections among local groups in their areas. The topic of concurrent membership in the Society of Friends and in another religious denomination has been discussed in detail. We believe that the true Spirit of Jesus Christ opposes formal religious affiliation. Therefore, members of the Society of Friends will not be members of another religious denomination at the same time. However, we do not feel authorized to deny membership to Friends who feel unable to sever ties with another denomination.”
During the following years, the Yearly Meeting was held in various locations: 1926 in Coburg, 1927 in Magdeburg, 1928 in Bückeburg, 1929 in Comburg/Schwäbisch-Hall, 1930 in Wernigerode, 1931 in Dresden, and 1932 in the Pyrmont Quaker House for the first time.
We are thrilled to bring three translated articles from the Quaker Journal of German Friends (“QUÄKER, Zeitschrift der deutschen Freunde), to the blog over the next few weeks. Graciously translated into English by Birgit Adolph and reviewed by Rosemary Meier, the three articles discuss early Quakerism in Germany, nineteenth century Quakerism, and Quakers in twentieth-century Germany. Many early Canadian Quakers had German origins, particularly those who emigrated from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Written by Lutz Caspers, the articles were originally published in 2015 to celebrate the ninetieth anniversary of the German Yearly Meeting. The articles are reproduced here with the permission of both the author and the journal.
“90 Years of the German Annual Meeting. Part II: 19th Century: Minden, Friedensthal and Pyrmont,” Quaker Journal of German Friends 6, (2015): 273–275.
Lutz Caspers
German citation: Lutz Caspers, “90 Jahre deutsche Jahresversammlung. Teil II: Das 19. Jahrhundert: Minden, Friedensthal und Pyrmont,” QUÄKER, Zeitschrift der deutschen Freunde 6, (2015): 273–275.
In 1805, F.C.E. Schmid described the “beginning of the Pyrmont congregation”: in 1786, British missionaries had come to Hessen, as troops from Hessen had gone to America as soldiers and had had a favourable experience with Quakers there. They came to Rinteln, stayed for eight days, met “the Society of the Pious”, and “they left a powerful impression.”
In 1793, Ludwig Seebohm wrote a long letter to the town of Rinteln, detailing the principles of the Quaker faith. In 1790, in Hohenrode, Schaumberg, there apparently were people (including the Master craftsman Schüttemeier) who no longer attended Church nor were sending their children to school and who were “presenting themselves in speech, conduct and dress, showing all the peculiarities by which Quakers are recognised.” They wore simple clothes, addressed everyone with familiarity as thou, and did not take off their hats to anyone. A prison sentence did not make Schüttemeier change his views. In 1792, he was forced to endure the compulsory baptism of his child and the forced sale of his house, and to leave the area. He and his friends fled to Pyrmont.
British missionaries met with six families in Minden, who met monthly (although not tolerated until 1798). Sarah Groupp had visited them in 1796. Friedrich Schmitt and Johannes Rasche had then founded the Christian Society of Friends in Minden. A public meeting was held in the hall of the orphanage in which many Minden citizens professed the principles of Friends. Several pastors however urged that this hall be closed. Ludwig Seebohm then drafted a document which was delivered to the King. After several further petitions, the members of five families were permitted to hold further Meetings there. In his response, the King referred to the full freedom of conscience for everyone in Prussia. Nevertheless, this did not exempt Friends from having to struggle with many difficulties. In Minden, there still exists a Quaker cemetery with many graves of Quakers from Minden and the surrounding area, buried between 1798 and 2006. Even among Friends, difficulties arose. Their hopes for Clearness had been placed on John Pemberton of Philadelphia, but he died in 1795 and was buried in Pyrmont. Three Quaker women from Philadelphia preached to a large audience in the dancehall of Pyrmont “as Quakers did not yet have a public Meeting House.”
In nearby Friedensthal, English Friends helped to establish a flax spinning mill, a weaving mill and, in 1792, a knife factory. The goods however proved to be of poor quality and thus could not be sold in America. In 1804, the enterprise was closed. Seebohm, with support from American Friends, also set up a printing business, a paper mill and a soap factory. The area flourished, so other Quakers—who were persecuted elsewhere—settled there. “Weary of public executions,” the community submitted a petition to the Prince in 1796. They were permitted to establish their own school, with an enrollment of twenty-five children. Seebohm’s salary as a teacher was funded by London Yearly Meeting. Seebohm also wrote several textbooks.
As the school premises soon proved too small, British Friends hoped to be able to seize the opportunity to extend their religious activities “in the popular resort of Pyrmont.” With private English funds, they built a special Meeting House, which was used first in 1800.
“Settlement for the Construction of the first Quaker house”
At its opening, one thousand visitors were reported to have been present. Schmid wrote: “around 1800, the congregation finally built its own public church, or rather, as they don’t like this word, Meeting House … it is made of wood and, including the wall around the churchyard, cost about 4,000 Thaler, mostly raised by subscriptions from English Quakers.” The congregation consisted of 24-26 families and about 80 people in all, living in Pyrmont and Friedensthal. They established a Monthly Meeting which joined London Yearly Meeting.
During the turmoil of the Napoleonic wars, Friends from abroad were not able to visit Pyrmont until 1814. Stephen Grellet established a Council for International Service for the care and control of the communities of Minden and Pyrmont. Membership, however, continued to decline. By 1840, Meetings were usually attended by only 3-5 Friends. In 1868, London Yearly Meeting investigated possibilities for renewed activity, but came up with no solution. There was no one to keep the remaining Friends together.
Many Friends had emigrated to America. In 1893, London Friends decided to sell the Quaker House. The contract for purchase specifically emphasised that the House was to be used for neither commercial enterprises nor a dance hall. The proceeds were kept and in 1932 used to build a new Meeting House.
The Quaker House in Pyrmont, 2008. Built in 1932, it is a reconstruction of the original. Note: this photo does not appear in the original article.
References:
F.C.E. Schmid, Ursprung, Fortgang und Verfassung der Quäkergemeinde zu Pyrmont. Braunschweig (1805).
Wilhelm Hubben, Die Quäker in der deutschen Vergangenheit. QuäkerVerlag Leipzig, 1929.
Heinrich Otto, Werden und Wesen des Quäkertums und seine Entwicklung in Deutschland. Wien, 1972.
Friedrich Schmidt and Christian Schelp, “Geschichte der Freunde zu Minden,” 1999.
Wilhelm Rasche, Geschichte der Familie Rasche, 1961.
We are thrilled to bring three translated articles from the Quaker Journal of German Friends (“QUÄKER, Zeitschrift der deutschen Freunde), to the blog over the next few weeks. Graciously translated into English by Birgit Adolph and reviewed by Rosemary Meier, the three articles discuss early Quakerism in Germany, nineteenth century Quakerism, and Quakers in twentieth-century Germany. Part I discusses early Quaker missionaries to Germany and instances of early Quaker groups. Written by Lutz Caspers, the articles were originally published in 2015 to celebrate the ninetieth anniversary of the German Yearly Meeting. The articles are reproduced here with the permission of both the author and the journal.
“90 Years of the German Annual Meeting. Part I: The 17th and 18th Centuries: Missionary Journeys and First Groups,” Quaker Journal of German Friends 4, (2015): 159–162. Lutz Caspers
German citation: Lutz Caspers, “90 Jahre deutsche Jahresversammlung. Teil I: Das 17. und 18. Jahrhundert Missionsreisen und erste Gruppen,” QUÄKER, Zeitschrift der deutschen Freunde 4, (2015): 159–162.
Have Quakers been in Germany for ninety years? As a matter of fact, Quaker groups have existed here for more than two hundred years. However, they were tolerated only in a few locations. After the “Religionsfrieden” (Religious Peace Agreement of Augsburg) in 1555, only Protestants were recognised as equal fellow Christians. All other religious communities were excluded from the peace agreement. In all of the three hundred independent states, the Ruler (prince) decided on the religion of his subjects. About one hundred years later, in 1648, this restriction was slightly eased. No Ruler could require his subjects to convert to his religion. By 1700, Quakers were being discriminated against, denigrated or ridiculed.
“The Quakers still shoot many people…fire on Colonel Sandis…shoot a Constable and a Drummer … fire on the town’s Major Brown … defile the holy Baptism, are brought to court and put on trial, get the reward they deserve.”
1702 Broadside titled, “Abbildung was die Quacker, Widertauffer, Schwärmer, Freijgeister und Rebellen, den 6 January Anno 1661…” The illustration details the acts and results of 6 January 1661 in London, England, when the Fifth Monarchists uprising took place. As the Fifth Monarchists were part of a Puritan sect, the image is demonstrating the consequences of dissenters, calling out Quakers, Anabaptists, and rebels. While Quakers had little to do with the Fifth Monarchist uprising, they were accused of taking part in the rebellion. Image is courtesy of the Allard Pierson Museum.
A few years later, from 1654, English Quakers conducted missionary journeys to the continent, which with few exceptions, were met with opposition. From this time, Quaker publications were appearing, mostly in Dutch. In 1666 alone, there were seventy editions. In 1659, “An instruction for all who wish to know the way to the Kingdom” by George Fox, appeared in German.
Prominent Quakers who undertook these journeys included George Fox (1671), William Penn (1677), and John Pemberton (1795), who died and was buried in Pyrmont.
In 1677, George Fox mentioned his German destinations in his journal:
Emden: “Then we came to Emden, where Friends had been cruelly persecuted and from whence they had been banished… And while we were waiting, the Friends of this town came, and we had a little Meeting.”
In 1686, Friends there were granted full freedom of conscience and all civil rights. In 1715, Friends were visited for the last time.
Hamburg: “We came to Hamburg and had enough time for a Meeting. A good and wonderful Meeting it was. Among others there were a Baptist and his wife, an important man from Sweden with his wife, and everything was peaceful, praise be to God, whose power shone over all. But this was a dark place and the people did not receive the truth.”
In 1796 Savery, a Quaker, visited “inspired” people in Hamburg who were considered to be Quakers.
Friedrichstadt: “There we went to William Paul, where several friends joined us. We had a nice, refreshing Meeting.”
In 1771, there was no longer a Quaker group. The Quaker House of Worship can still be visited.
Leer: “…Where lived a Friend who had been banished from Emden…”
Delmenhorst: “…I explained to them the Way of truth and warned them of the Day of the Lord…”
Buxtehude: “…I preached on the truth and warned them of the Day of the Lord and exhorted to maintain sobriety…”
Itzehoe: “I had a Meeting with people in a tavern and exhorted them to sobriety…”
County of Holstein: “…Friends there are enjoying freedom … I spoke to a Levite about the coming of the Messiah, about which he was very puzzled, but invited me into his house, where I met a Jew who showed me their Talmud and other Jewish books, but they were obscure…”
Bremen: “…I felt the power of the Lord in the city and holding down the wicked and wayward.”
Frankfurt am Main: In 1677, William Penn visited Frankfurt, among other places. In 1683, some Krefeld Quakers emigrated to Pennsylvania, the first German immigrants. In 1993, this was honoured as “German-American Friendship”. American Quakers also celebrated, in a different way. An identical postage stamp was issued in USA and Germany.
Around 1790, Quaker groups formed in Minden and Pyrmont. In the “Duldungsakte” (Toleration Act) of Prince Friedrich von Waldeck: “knowledge of man has formed my principle to pay as little attention as possible to religious fanaticism. A babbler who declaims his follies to anyone passing by will finally tire of being ignored. However, this applies only if fanaticism does not put public order at risk. This is not to be feared if the Pyrmont main office shows wise behaviour and philosophical and serious conduct … On mature reflection, I believe that the following path should be followed regarding the Quaker matters: the Quakers are to be informed that only in this case are they permitted not to have their children baptised and to be kept out of school, if they avow themselves to the Amsterdam or Altona sects (the two places with the highest level of tolerance) and if they follow the rules of these sects … Their new behaviour—as foolish and ridiculous as it may be—should be regarded as a weakness. They can thee and thou and keep their heads covered as long as they like … Working on feast days could be ignored as long as it does not cause a stir. If this is the case, however, it should be dealt with as a rowdy disturbance of the peace…” (Hubben 1929).
References:
Sünne Juterczenka, Über Gott und die Welt: Endzeitdivisionen, Reformdebatten und die europäische Quäkermission der Frühen Neuzeit (2008).
Wilhelm Hubben, Die Quäker in der deutschen Vergangenheit (1929).
Heinrich Otto, Werden und Wesen des Quäkertums und seine Entwicklung in Deutschland (1972).
In this month’s Founders and Builders Series, we introduce you to Sandra Fuller. Sandra served as secretary for a number of years and has written many articles for the Canadian Quaker History Journal and the CFHA Newsletter. Her work has contributed greatly to the success of CFHA.
Sandra Fuller By Ruth Jeffery-Maclean
Sandra McCann was born and raised in Newmarket, Ontario. She is a descendant of early Quaker settlers, Ezekiel & Keziah (Harvey) James, who emigrated from Pennsylvania to Upper Canada in 1803 and settled on Yonge Street, Whitchurch Township. Many Quaker traditions regarding home-making and education for women were passed down to her through her mother and Quaker great-grandmother, Rachael James, born and raised in the Quaker Settlement on Yonge Street. A family jest was to ask, “Did you know that Jesse James is buried in the Quaker yard on Yonge Street?” Of course, it is not the notorious outlaw, but the brother of her great-grandmother who is buried there!
While she was growing up, although her family was no longer in membership with Friends, Sandra spent a great deal of time with Quakers. One of her friends is the granddaughter of William Ira and Martha (Bond) Moore. William Ira Moore (1862-1912), born in St Vincent Twp, Grey County, was one of the Quaker ministers who pioneered Friends Meetings in Western Canada. His daughter, Marjorie, was one of the mainstays of the Newmarket Friends Meeting. Through her friends, Sandra was frequently involved in activities with Young Friends, went to Camp NeeKauNis, and feels at home amongst the Quaker community.
Quaker history has always found a way to seep into Sandra’s life. While Sandra was growing up, Ethel Willson Trewhella, a Quaker writer of early local histories, including the Yonge Street Meeting House (1937), lived at the end of their garden. Wearing her plain dress, pinafore, and frilly cap, Mrs. Trewhella spent many hours standing at the back fence with Sandra’s mother recounting past events which she had learned from her research and often said, “What stories these fence posts could tell.”
After graduation from Grade 13, Newmarket High School, Sandra studied at the University of Toronto where she received a four-year Honours degree, B.A. in Modern History. She went on to acquire a Bachelor of Education, and taught in secondary schools in Orillia and Aurora. After marriage to Paul Fuller whom she met at U of T, they lived in a heritage home in Unionville while raising a family of two children, a girl and a boy. Heritage preservation became a major interest when they organized Unionville Festival in order to save the Historic Main Street of Unionville. Through membership in the University Women’s Club, Sandra became acquainted with women who inspired investigation into topics such as women’s issues, and heritage preservation.
After leaving the teaching field, Sandra began her career as an archivist. She added to her education and training by studying for a M.A. in history, and acquired Certification in Archival Practices. In addition, she took several courses in architectural history. As archivist, she has been employed by the Archives of Ontario, the Art Gallery of Ontario, George Brown College, the University of Toronto, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Canadian Quaker Archives.
In the 1990s, members of the Records Committee with chair Arnold Ranneris were confronted with the necessity of grappling with the accumulation of Quaker records which were stacked in the vault in Pickering College. With several points of view holding sway, the on-going question of ownership of the records required taking the right direction in thinking. As owners of the records, Canada Yearly Meeting is responsible for their care. In order to preserve and arrange the records, and make them available to researchers with finding aids, Sandra was instrumental in obtaining grants moneys from the Archives Association of Ontario (AAO). As a start, some of the Canadian Friends Service Committee (CFSC) records were processed. To make progress with new procedures, Sandra gave freely of her volunteer hours. Records Committee members, Rosemarie McMechan and Winnifred Tanner, also spent many valued volunteer hours in the vault.
She has been a long-time member of the Newmarket Historical Society. In 1980, Sandra was a founding member of the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC), renamed the Heritage Newmarket Advisory Committee. She became involved in a number of quests for preservation of historic buildings and places by means of designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. Among them were the Yonge Street Meeting House, the Hicksite Friends Burying Ground, and the Doan House. For many years, it was thought that the historic Quaker house might be moved from its location on adjoining property directly south of the Yonge Street Friends Burial Ground to be used in conjunction with the Yonge Street Meeting House. Finally, the Town reached an agreement in 2001 to move the building north on Yonge Street to serve the community as Doane House Hospice.
In 1998 Sandra received recognition from the Ontario Heritage Foundation in appreciation of her heritage conservation achievements. For a period of 36 years, she served on the municipal heritage committee until 2016. For her, it was heartbreaking that, after many decades of working to save historic buildings, she was not able to save her own family Quaker house where her mother was born. The James family timber-frame house built c.1825, already transformed into office reception on the main floor and apartment on the second floor, might have been used by Quakers or other local heritage organizations. In 2014, the house was destroyed in order to make way for a parking lot.
Sandra has been involved with the Canadian Friends Historical Association (CFHA) since 1980 and served as secretary for a number of years. Any organization needs people behind the scenes to run to and fro, and Sandra was always one of those “go to” people who was ready to do just what was needed in preparation for the Annual General Meetings. She was often known to be burning the midnight oil, cutting and pasting brochures and creating newsletters, as well as ordering buses, phoning members, and hand-delivering newsletters. She assisted in the publishing and distribution of the Newsletters and Journals. Doing research and drawing attention to little known events in Quaker history by writing and contributing articles to the Canadian Quaker History Journal and the CFHA Newsletter has been a source of satisfaction.
Sandra is grateful for the friendship and encouragement of Jane Zavitz-Bond whose vast knowledge of Quaker history directed her to sources for research and suggestions for writing biographical accounts of many Quakers whose stories needed to be told. For many years, they worked together on many important issues. With others interested in Quaker history, they enjoyed travel to attend biennial meetings of Quaker Historians and Archivists.
When I asked Sandra if there was anything in particular that stood out in her memories of the Canadian Friends Historical Association, she didn’t take long to reply. It was the anniversary year in 2001 – the Canadian Friends Service Committee and Camp NeeKauNis, both established in 1931, were celebrating 70 years, and CFHA established in 1971-72 was about to celebrate thirty years. In order to recognize these milestones in Canadian Quaker history, CFHA decided to hold the Annual General Meeting at Camp. Possibly because the venue at Waubaushene attracted a poor attendance, the meeting was initially a disappointment. In retrospect, however, Sandra describes it as one of the better AGMs because it recognized and valued those who had contributed outstanding services to Quaker causes in the 20th century, and it provided a venue for a wonderful reunion for the honoured guests – Murray Thomson, Kathleen Hertzberg, Jo Vellacott, Doctors Ed and Vivian Abbott, Peter and Rose Mae Harkness – a phenomenal coming together. It was a different level of gathering altogether. Participants enjoyed supper by the fire on a beautiful fall weekend. Moments like these bring us full circle. Sharing and caring and feeling the Light.
In this month’s Founders and Builders Series, we introduce you to Albert Schrauwers, a steadfast member who has contributed greatly to the success of CFHA.
Albert Schrauwers By Ruth Jeffery-Maclean
Albert Schrauwers has been an integral part of the work of CFHA for many years. He has brought an expertise in research and writing, professional development, and a tireless work ethic to the goals of our mission statement.
During his fourth year of undergraduate study in anthropology, Albert was researching for a paper on the Children of Peace. The Sharon Temple National Historic Site was closed for the season and he ended up at the Canadian Quaker Archives in search of material. Albert recognized the Archives as an invaluable resource that existed in relative obscurity. Jane Zavitz as archivist was herself an invaluable resource. Albert gathered his research and continued to attend at the archives assisting Jane with the work of maintaining the collection. He was soon recruited for CFHA.
CFHA was already producing a newsletter but Albert envisioned the publication of a peer-reviewed journal of research articles on the history of Quakers in Canada. The first issue of the Canadian Quaker History Journal was published in 1989 with Albert Schrauwers responsible for production. He continued assisting with production and later as editor for many years.
In addition to time given to the Archives and to CFHA, Albert also contributed endless hours at the Sharon Temple Museum Society and the Children of Peace Burying Ground. The Site Director expressed his involvement this way: “It is not an exaggeration to say that without his vigilant watch over the Sharon Temple, it may not have been preserved to the level of historical integrity that we can enjoy today.”
It’s hard to believe that while giving so much time to the Archives and the Temple, Albert was continuing his studies at the University of Toronto. His master’s thesis was published under the title, “Awaiting the Millennium: The Children of Peace and the Village of Hope 1812-1889.”
Albert earned a PhD in Economic Anthropology from the University of Toronto and lectured at the London School of Economics for two years. When he returned to Canada he assumed a professorship in the Department of Anthropology at York University. And he continued to mine the history of the Children of Peace, authoring his book, ‘Union is Strength’: W.L. Mackenzie, the Children of Peace and the Emergence of Joint Stock Democracy in Upper Canada (Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 2009).
Albert Schrauwers has been unrestrained in his contribution toward the development of CFHA, but he is seldom seen. He avoids the footlights and needs no accolades but for anyone observing the development of the association, there is no doubt that Albert raised the bar for CFHA. He is a Builder.
Registration for this year’s Conference of Quaker Historians and Archivists (CQHA) is now open. The conference is taking place online June 24–26 and is free for everyone to attend. Information on the conference can be found here, and you can register directly here.
The conference will take place between approximately11:00 am – 4:00 pm EDT each daywith built in time for breaks, and will be held over Zoom.
Presentations at CQHA, organized into thematic sessions, address aspects of Quaker history across all time periods and locations. Since this year’s program builds on the postponed 2020 conference that would have taken place at Earlham College in Indiana, the program includes several presentations related to Quakers and the American Midwest. In addition, CQHA has been able to take advantage of the virtual format to invite colleagues from several continents to participate in a series of special sessions on historiography and archives in Quaker historical studies. To view the conference’s full program, click here.
CQHA is a biennial conference which operates under the auspices of the Friends Historical Association (FHA) which focuses on the history of Quakers and Quakerism. It is organized by a steering committee appointed by the conference group during the biennial concluding business session.
Assemblee des Quakers a Londres by A. Moubach, 1727-1738
