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11. Swarthmoor

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Voice of the Lord
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11 Swarthmoor ULVERSTON, A FREE BOROUGH SINCE 1196, WAS A MARKET town. It lay in Furness, an isolated, hilly peninsula, hemmed in on three sides by the sea and cut off on the north by the waters and mountains of the lovely Lake District. Today the region prospers by its manufacturing, but, when Fox came in late June, 1652, only a few shepherds and small farmers wrested a poor living from the reddish iron- and copper-impregnated soil. These Furness folk were staunchly individual. For centuries they were restive under the rule of Furness Abbey, a rich and often turbulent establishment; after Henry VIII suppressed the monastery they resented the manor lords set over them. Inde-pendent in religion, they opposed the Stuarts and sometimes Cromwell, also. They disliked control by those whom they called "outcomes," officers from any other part of Britain. Their detachment helped them maintain their free ways. Access was difficult. Early visitors came by sea, as many Scan-dinavian place names attested, but a rugged coast, perilous because of rocks and shoals and poorly charted, discouraged sailors. Land travel involved crossing Morecambe Bay, a shallow ever changing estuary which, at full tide, was treacherous enough but which at ebb-tide was a wide expanse of quicksand. Before the railway and the modern motor road 113
© 2016 University of Pennsylvania Press, 3905 Spruce Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4112

11 Swarthmoor ULVERSTON, A FREE BOROUGH SINCE 1196, WAS A MARKET town. It lay in Furness, an isolated, hilly peninsula, hemmed in on three sides by the sea and cut off on the north by the waters and mountains of the lovely Lake District. Today the region prospers by its manufacturing, but, when Fox came in late June, 1652, only a few shepherds and small farmers wrested a poor living from the reddish iron- and copper-impregnated soil. These Furness folk were staunchly individual. For centuries they were restive under the rule of Furness Abbey, a rich and often turbulent establishment; after Henry VIII suppressed the monastery they resented the manor lords set over them. Inde-pendent in religion, they opposed the Stuarts and sometimes Cromwell, also. They disliked control by those whom they called "outcomes," officers from any other part of Britain. Their detachment helped them maintain their free ways. Access was difficult. Early visitors came by sea, as many Scan-dinavian place names attested, but a rugged coast, perilous because of rocks and shoals and poorly charted, discouraged sailors. Land travel involved crossing Morecambe Bay, a shallow ever changing estuary which, at full tide, was treacherous enough but which at ebb-tide was a wide expanse of quicksand. Before the railway and the modern motor road 113
© 2016 University of Pennsylvania Press, 3905 Spruce Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4112

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter 1
  2. Preface 5
  3. Contents 7
  4. 1. Drayton-tn-the-Clay 11
  5. 2. George Grows Up 20
  6. 3. Disillusion 30
  7. 4. Young Rebel 40
  8. 5. Search for Truth 50
  9. 6. Healer and Prophet 61
  10. 7. Derby Jail 70
  11. 8. The Eccentrics 81
  12. 9. Yorkshire 93
  13. 10. The White-Clad Host 103
  14. 11. Swarthmoor 113
  15. 12. Riot and Retribution 122
  16. 13. Strange Judgment 132
  17. 14. Margaret Fell 142
  18. 15. Thresh the Heathen 152
  19. 16. Cromwell 161
  20. 17. Premature Missions 171
  21. 18. Dark Cornwall 181
  22. 19. Doomsdale 192
  23. 20. London Uprising 202
  24. 21. James Nayler 212
  25. 22. Mending the Breach 221
  26. 23. Wales and Scotland 231
  27. 24. For Unity and Truth 241
  28. 25. Boston Hunts Witches 251
  29. 26. Readjustment 262
  30. 27. The Kingly Word 273
  31. 28. Darkness Gathers 284
  32. 29. Stiff as a Tree 294
  33. 30. The Lord Commands 305
  34. 31. Persecution and Visions 317
  35. 32. Voyage to the West 329
  36. 33. The Friendly Delawares 339
  37. 34. Scouting a Colony 350
  38. 35. Worcester and Salem 361
  39. 36. Sage of Swarthmoor 373
  40. 37. Equality for All 383
  41. 38. Holland and Germany 392
  42. 39. Again the Gadfly 402
  43. 40. Holy Experiment 412
  44. 41. Thou Excellest All 424
  45. Bibliography 437
  46. Notes 451
  47. Index 459
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https://doi.org/10.9783/9781512819359-012

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter 1
  2. Preface 5
  3. Contents 7
  4. 1. Drayton-tn-the-Clay 11
  5. 2. George Grows Up 20
  6. 3. Disillusion 30
  7. 4. Young Rebel 40
  8. 5. Search for Truth 50
  9. 6. Healer and Prophet 61
  10. 7. Derby Jail 70
  11. 8. The Eccentrics 81
  12. 9. Yorkshire 93
  13. 10. The White-Clad Host 103
  14. 11. Swarthmoor 113
  15. 12. Riot and Retribution 122
  16. 13. Strange Judgment 132
  17. 14. Margaret Fell 142
  18. 15. Thresh the Heathen 152
  19. 16. Cromwell 161
  20. 17. Premature Missions 171
  21. 18. Dark Cornwall 181
  22. 19. Doomsdale 192
  23. 20. London Uprising 202
  24. 21. James Nayler 212
  25. 22. Mending the Breach 221
  26. 23. Wales and Scotland 231
  27. 24. For Unity and Truth 241
  28. 25. Boston Hunts Witches 251
  29. 26. Readjustment 262
  30. 27. The Kingly Word 273
  31. 28. Darkness Gathers 284
  32. 29. Stiff as a Tree 294
  33. 30. The Lord Commands 305
  34. 31. Persecution and Visions 317
  35. 32. Voyage to the West 329
  36. 33. The Friendly Delawares 339
  37. 34. Scouting a Colony 350
  38. 35. Worcester and Salem 361
  39. 36. Sage of Swarthmoor 373
  40. 37. Equality for All 383
  41. 38. Holland and Germany 392
  42. 39. Again the Gadfly 402
  43. 40. Holy Experiment 412
  44. 41. Thou Excellest All 424
  45. Bibliography 437
  46. Notes 451
  47. Index 459
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