Charlotte Fell Smith

“ At seven years old he delivered harangues on life and immortality from a tombstone in Norwich. After having been taught by Joseph Dancer, a schoolmaster at Hertford, Letchworth was apprenticed to a shopkeeper at Epping. His master's efforts to induce him to join the established church were unsuccessful, his appreciation of silent worship being so sincere that he sometimes kept the meeting at Epping alone. He soon moved to London and took a shop in Spitalfields, where he began preaching at the age of nineteen. ”

“ He wrote, in defence of the society, a ‘Letter to a Country Clergyman, occasioned by his Address to Lord Teignmouth, &c., by a Suburban Clergyman;’ and to an attack by Thomas Twining and Major Scott Waring on the society's work in India, on the ground that a conquered nation's free exercise of religion was improperly interfered with, Owen replied in ‘An Address to the Chairman of the East India Company,’ &c., London, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd editions, 1807. ”

“ The charity has been augmented since Kendall's death. Another of his benefactions at Colchester, Kendall's Trust, provided for the distribution of a certain number of religious books every year. Under Kendall's Foundation, a third example of his beneficence at Colchester, six poor boys were to receive a free education, and for the use of the master and assistants he left a valuable library, which, consisting chiefly of Greek, Latin, and Dutch books, proved unserviceable, and was by consent of the charity commissioners sold in 1865 for the benefit of the school. ”

“ Latey's character was of sterling integrity. His influence with the nobles, bishops, and great men was never used for his own ends. A courtier said of him that no man 'bore a sweeter character at court.' Whitehead calls him 'a sensible man, of good judgment.' An epistle of his, dated from Hammersmith 22 Aug. 1705, shows he was one of the earliest to advocate the employment of women in offices of the society. ”

“ LEATHAM, WILLIAM HENRY (1816–1889) , verse-writer and member of parliament, born at Wakefield on 6 July 1815, was second of nine children of William Leatham, banker, and author of 'Letters on the Currency' (London, 1840) . A sister became the wife of the Right Hon. John Bright, another of Joseph Gurney Barclay, the banker. His family had long been quakers, and William Henry was educated at Bruce Grove, Tottenham, and under a classical tutor. At nineteen he entered his father's bank at Wakefield, and in the following year (1835) made a tour on the continent. ”

“ In March 1658 he first landed in the English colony of Rhode Island. All the New England settlements were opposed to the admission of quakers. They were usually subjected to barbarous flogging with knotted and pitched cords on landing, and were promptly banished. When Leddra arrived the assembly had just passed a law imposing a fine of 100l. upon any person who should introduce one or the 'cursed sect' into the territory, with a further penalty of 5l. for every hour the outlaw was concealed. ”

“ Isaac's eldest son, John Penington (1655–1710) , was born in 1655 in London, and went with his brothers, after Ellwood ceased to be their tutor, to the quaker boarding-school at Waltham Abbey, kept by Christopher Taylor [q. v.] As he grew up he was much in his father's society. From 1676 to 1679 he corresponded in Latin with William Sewel [q. v.] , the quaker historian of Amsterdam (The Quarterly Magazine ... for ... the Society of Friends, 1832, pp. 117–19) . On his mother's death in 1682 he inherited her house at Amersham and her property in Kent. ”

“ He was told that he had incurred the penalty of death, and upon asking what evil he had done was informed that he had refused to put off his hat, and had said 'thee and thou.' 'Will you then.' he asked, 'hang me for speaking English, and for not putting off my clothes?' 'A man may speak treason in English,' was the answer. ”

“ Eventually, however, Vitells became a convert to the teaching of Henry Nicholas or Niclaes [q. v.] , the founder of the ‘Family of Love.’ He wandered up and down in East Anglia using his powers of persuasion, which John Rogers implies were great, in spreading the mystical doctrines, and found a hearing at Cambridge, Willingham in Cambridgeshire, Strethall in Essex, at Colchester (where he was living at Michaelmas 1555) , and other places. ”

“ On his return home he wrote to Fox, urging that no quakers should go to London ‘save in the clear and pure movings of the Spirit, for there were many mighty in wisdom, and weak ones would suffer the truth to be trampled on.’ The same year he was sent to Scotland as a commissioner for the administration of justice (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1654, p. 126) . On 9 May 1655 Pearson returned to London, and began a systematic visitation of all law courts, to gather information about tithes, and the treatment of the quakers who declined to pay them (Barclay, Letters of Early Friends, pp. 31, 33, 34) . ”

“ Latey constantly visited the numerous meetings in and around London, at Kingston, Hammersmith, Barking, and Greenwich. While riding to Greenwich he was on one occasion stoned by a mob. In 1661 he was taken by a party of the king's foot-guards from a meeting in Palace Yard, and confined under the banqueting-room at Whitehall. In 1663 he and George Whitehead procured, after a personal appeal to Charles II, the release of sixty-three quakers imprisoned at Norwich, and a remission of their fines. ”

“ A life-size portrait is at Pennsylvania Castle.
Penn published a number of competent translations from the Greek, and many theological and semi-scientific works. ‘A comparative Estimate of the Mineral and Mosaical Geologies,’ London, 1822, was received with some approval in religious circles, but was severely censured elsewhere as an unscientific attempt to treat the book of Genesis as a manual of geology. A second edition, enlarged, and with answers to critics, appeared in 2 vols. London, 1825. ”

“ Ellwood soon became a quaker himself, and an inmate of the Peningtons' house. For seven years he was tutor to their children.
In the end of 1660 and beginning of 1661 Penington was a prisoner in Aylesbury gaol, along with nearly seventy other quakers, for refusing to take the oaths of allegiance to the government. They were confined in a decayed building behind the gaol, once a malt-house, ‘but not fit for a dog-house,’ says Ellwood. Many like experiences followed his release. ”

“ WHITE, JOHN (1575–1648) , called the Patriarch of Dorchester, son of John White, who held a lease under New College, Oxford, by his wife Isabel, daughter of John Rawle of Lichfield, was baptised at Stanton St. John, Oxfordshire, on 6 Jan. 1575. His elder brother, Josias, was rector of Hornchurch, Essex, 1614-23, and father of James, a wealthy merchant of Boston, Massachusetts (Essex Archaeol. Trans., new ser. iv. 317) . In 1587 he entered Winchester school, whence he was elected a fellow of New College in 1595 (Kirby, Winchester Scholars, p. 153) . ”

“ In 1638 Penington was chosen high sheriff of London (ib. 1638–9, p. 59) . His house was in Wood Street, Cheapside, and he was a prominent member of St. Stephen's Church, Coleman Street (cf. Archæologia, l. 23 sq.) . He was returned to both the Short and Long parliaments in 1640 as member for the city. On 11 Dec. 1640 he presented a petition to the commons from fifteen thousand citizens against the innovations of Archbishop Laud. Penington's influence in the city was invaluable to parliament, on the outbreak of hostilities, in raising loans and supplies for the army. ”

“ WHITFELD or WHITFIELD, HENRY (d. 1660?) , divine, is said by Mather to have been second son of Ralph Whitfeld of Gray's Inn, by Dorothy, daughter of Sir Henry Spelman [q. v.] He was more probably son of Thomas Whitfeld, lord of the manor of East Sheen and of Mortlake, who was licensed to marry Mildred Manning of Greenwich on 10 Jan. 1585 (Addit. MS. 27984, f. 20b) . He appears to have taken holy orders, is described as B.D., and is said to have been appointed to the rich living of Ockley, Surrey, in 1616, although the register there contains no mention of his induction. ”

“ Penington was a sturdy and austere puritan. When he expressed violent disapproval of his son Isaac's joining the quakers, the son retorted that his father's religion was formal and invented, the result of fear lest wrath should overtake him. ”

“ She was educated like other girls, but is said to have heard at a very early age a miraculous voice amidst the Christmas gaieties at her father's house, and thenceforth devoted herself to a religious life. All attempts on the part of her family to divert her mind from its serious bent failed At twenty-one she married her kinsman, William Lead, who was six years her senior. He died not long after, leaving one daughter, Barbara. Mrs. Lead appears to have lived after her husband's death in the greatest seclusion in London. ”

“ Kilham thereupon opened a day-school in Nottingham, spending the vacations at Epworth, her husband's early home. There she became acquainted with the quakers, and in 1802 joined their society. She returned to Sheffield, and though still teaching, busied herself in philanthropic work. She originated a Society for the Bettering of the Condition of the Poor, which proved a model for many others. ”

“ Amongst the several forms,’ he continues, ‘and great professions, the Life and Power is lost.’
When nineteen he first heard of the quakers, read one or two of their books, and finally became convinced of ‘the truth.’ His father and other puritan relatives strongly opposed his conversion, and Osborn left the house and engaged himself to assist a widow with two daughters in the clothing trade. All three were quakers, and Osborn on 1 Oct. 1665, at the age of twenty-three, married Mary Horte, the younger daughter. ”

“ When the civil war broke out, Wilkinson left Oxford and joined the parliament, took the covenant, and became a preacher in much request. He was appointed lecturer or minister of Buckminster, Leicestershire, in 1642, and was instituted vicar of Epping, Essex, on 30 Oct. 1643. He was appointed one of the parliamentary visitors of Oxford University on 1 May 1647. He was created B.D. on 14 April 1648, fellow and vice-president of Magdalen College on 25 May, principal of Magdalen Hall on 12 Aug. 1648, and Whyte's professor of moral philosophy on 24 March 1649. ”

“ She at once began to preach and to travel. In February 1680 she went on a missionary journey to America, arriving in New York in May. She visited Long Island, Rhode Island, Boston, East and West Jersey, and Pennsylvania. On the return journey she went to Antigua, Nevis, and most of the West Indian islands. In Barbados, where there were many quakers who had been transported from England, she held sometimes two and three meetings a day. ”

“ Penn was a candidate for the upper grammar or head mastership of Christ's Hospital in 1760, but lost the election by one vote. He was appointed by the governors of the hospital to the vicarage of Clavering-cum-Langley, Essex. Penn continued teaching in the school until 1767. From about 1769 until 1779 he was domestic chaplain to Granville, earl Gower. From March 1781 until his death on 15 Aug. 1800 he resided at Clavering-cum-Langley. He was buried in London. ”

“ WHITEBREAD, JOHN (1630–1696) , quaker, was born of puritan parents at Owstwick in Holderness, Yorkshire, in 1630. He entered the army when eighteen, having three years before experienced ‘conversion.’ He first preached as a quaker at Malton in December 1652. In March or April 1653 he held a meeting at Butterwick, and in the summer he left the army and started preaching on the moors of Yorkshire. In November 1654 he attempted to preach in Lincoln Cathedral, but had to be rescued by soldiers from an angry crowd. At Christmas he was in prison at Leicester. ”

“ A few of Wild's poems were included in 'Rome rhymed to Death; being a Collection of Choice Poems' (London, 1683, 8vo) , mostly by John Wilmot, second earl of Rochester [q. v.] , several of whose productions were ascribed to Wild.
Copies of the poems and the numerous broadsides which they called forth are in the 'Luttrell Collection' (vols. ii. and iii.) , the 'Roxburghe' and 'Bagford Ballads,' and in a collection of poetical sheets numbered C. 20, f. 2, at the British Museum. Wild's own poems were edited with an historical and biographical preface by the Rev. John Hunt (London, 1870, 8vo) . ”

“ Patient signed the ‘Epistle Dedicatory’ to Daniel King's ‘A Way to Sion,’ London, 1649, and he also subscribed an epistle entitled ‘Heart Bleedings for Professors' Abominations’ (London, 1650) , from the baptist churches in London, directed specially against ranters and quakers.
On 8 March 1649 Patient was chosen by parliament as one of the ‘six able ministers’ who were to be sent ‘to dispense the gospel in the city of Dublin,’ with a salary each of 200l. a year, to be paid from the revenues of Ireland (Commons' Journals, vi. 379) . ”