Farleton

This is in response to a query on rootschat, posted by Westy11 regarding the marriage of Joseph Goad and Hannah Atkinson. Who was Hannah's mother?
Welcome Westy11 hope you found your way here and hope this is of some interest.

No conclusive proof yet. There follows research which may be of interest.
The most informative record (from Ancestry) is from RG6/1004 it has a longer list of witnesses, some of which I cannot decipher. My interpretation :
"1685&1686
Joseph Goad son of Thomas Goad of Baielliff in ye parish of Aldingham County of Lancr. & Hannah Atkinson daughter of Richard Atkinson of Ffarleton in ye County of Westmorland were marryed at ye house of Thomas Camme of Cams-gill in ye County of Westmorland aforesd. on ye one & thirtyeth day of ye tenth month in ye presence of us & severall others.
witnesses _ there present

Richard Atkinson (father of Hannah)
John Atkinson (was he Rowland's father? brother to Richard?)
Rowland Atkinson (from will probably nephew to Richard)
Robt. ??????(Therlleton)
Robert Salthouse
Arthur Burrow
Joseph Gregg
Tho. Haughton
Robert Chamber
Thomas Ffell
James Myres?
Thomas Preston
Sam. Parrott
Thomas Hugginson
Charles Story
Bryan Lancaster
John Tompson
John Preston
Jacob Ashburner
Wm Salthouse
Ric Skyringe
Stephen Crosfield
Joseph Pearson
Richard Story
Henry Skyring
John Cuming
Rich. Myres?
John Lancaster
Roger Hynde
John Shaw
John Audland (son of John, born 1664 so age 21)
James Myres?
John ???(K/Rilner)
Leonard Ffell
Thomas Salthouse
Thomas Wakefield
Thomas Moore
James Ffell
Anne Camm (Anne Newby 1627-1705, married John Audland and then Thomas Camm)
Elizabeth Goad
Dorothy Middleton
Elizabeth Atkinson
Isabel Preston (widow of John Preston of Farleton?)
Agnes Crosfield
Jennett ???(Gadsplre?)
Rebecca Shaw
Ruth Lancaster
Alice Jackson
Martha Croft?
Mary Ffell
........................................
The same marriage is recorded in RG6/1004 where we are told Joseph is the son of Thomas deceased and Hannah the daughter of Richard who is not described as deceased so presume he is the Richard of the Witnesses. The day given 30 ten month 1685 (need to double check is it 30 or 31?)
.........................................
Looking at the Preston Patrick records it seems that there were two Quaker families at Farleton. If you track down the map mentioned in the previous post (Preston Patrick) you will see that it was not far from there and also close to Lupton where other Quakers lived. The two families were the Atkinsons and the Prestons. There was another Atkinson family at Birkrigge Park, but there is no proven connection at the moment.
..........................................
Before leaving the marriage a few interesting points. They married at Camsgill an important Quaker house which George Fox visited. Anne Camm the wife of Thomas Camm was present but not Thomas (he was present when George Fox visited his father when he was 12 years old and wrote about it) Anne, I think was also influential she had been married before to another well known Quaker John Audland (1630-1664) their son called John is also amongst the witnesses. Anne was sent to London as a girl (must do some more reading about her). Does this indicate that Hannah was favoured? Why did she not marry at her fathers house, why did all these people come for her wedding, was that normal, and Camsgill was a farmhouse - where did they all fit- it was the middle of winter December.
There is a photo of Camsgill Farm on the lancaster.ac.uk site. Sometimes spelt with double m.
update might they have married in the barn
looking at the marriages about that time
1679 William Waithman + Mary Crigg house of Thomas Preston
1680 Joshua Wharton + Ann Stirkland  house of Simon Thompson
         James Fell + Elizabeth Chamber   house of Richard Atkinson (her father)
1683 Samuell Parrett + Jane Atkinson  house of Nicholas Thompson
         Robert Robinson + Elizabeth Skyring house of Thomas Camm
1685 Joseph Goad + Hannah Atkinson house of Thomas Camm
1687 Richard Skyring + Barbara Story house of Thomas Camm
1689 John Audland + Agnes Clark       house of James Fell
1690 Edward Sill + Margaret Atkinson house of Thomas Camm
The meeting house opened in 1691 and marriages then took place there.
So it would seem that Hannah marrying at Camsgill was not unusual.
..........................................
Timeline of events recorded in Preston Patrick MM for the two families from Ffarleton.
That is not to say they were related but at the very least they were neighbours and friends.
I will recheck this in a few days because I do make many mistakes.

1665 Roger Wakefield married Hannah Preston of Ffarleton (Burkes Family Records)
         (influential Kendal Quaker family - Wakefields)
1668 Susannah wife of John Preston of Fferlton was Buryed
1672 Jane daughter of Richard Atkinson of Ffarlton was buryed
1673 John son of Richard Atkinson of Ffarlton was buryed
1674 Elizabeth Atkinson married William Chamber
1675 Robert Chamber of Sidgwick born
1677 Elizabeth Chamber of Sidgwick born
1682 James Ffell married Elizabeth Chamber of Farleton
1682 John Preston of Farleton was buryed
1682 Sarah Fell born
1683 Sam Parrot married Jane Atkinson of Ffarleton
1684 Mary Fell born
1685 Joseph Goad married Hannah daughter of Richard Atkinson of Ffarleton
1686 Hannah Fell born
1694 John Bowstead married Deborah daughter of Richard Atkinson of Farleton (might be John Boustead see Early Cumberland and Westmoreland Friends. He was born 1659 at Aglionby near Carlisle, he died in 1716 and was buried at Scotby.)
1715 Jane wife of Richard Atkinson of Ffarleton was Buryed
1716 Isabell Preston of Ffarleton widdow was Buryed
1720 Richard Atkinson of Ffarleton was buried

from this it would seem that Jane was the wife of Richard and might be the mother of Hannah, but she could be a second wife.
...............................................................................
In the Lancashire Record Office catalogue there are two wills of interest :
W/RW/K/R401B/29 20 Dec 1628
Richard Atkinson of Farleton, Beetham
and
W/RW/K/R404B/37 5 May 1720
Richard Atkinson, Yeoman of Farleton, Beetham
(sometimes the will is not included but both these look to be wills, please check the references on their website if you are going to use them.)
These would indicate the Atkinson family had been in Farleton before 1628.
Wonder if there are relevant records in the parish registers of Beetham?
Of course the 1720 will not name the mother of his children.
.............................................................................
searching google Farleton quaker
on www. british-history.ac.uk site
1684
Richard Atkinson of Farleton was fined £20 for having a meeting in his house and a further 10s for being present it being his fourth offence. Also fined for being at the meeting Thomas Moore of Newbiggin, house carpenter and Henry Skyring of Lupton. Cattle and corn to the value of over £39 was taken from Richard Atkinson, oats worth more than £2 was taken from Thomas Moore and Henry Skyring's fine was paid without his knowledge or consent.
1706
The house of Richard Atkinson in Farleton is licensed as a place for religious worship for the people called Quakers.
..............................................................................
on google books is the book
Early Cumberland and Westmorland Friends by Richard S Ferguson pub. 1871
It is easier to read than Besse book of sufferings, where the information came from.
"the Appendix will be found to contain a record of the sufferings of the early Friends in these counties, for the staunchness of their advocacy of civil and religious liberty, and for their opposition to all Ecclesiastical claims."
p191
1665 William Chambers of Preston Patrick was committed to gaol for being at a Meeting
200
1677 Richard Atkinson and John Preston of Farleton had goods over £2 taken
p 202
         Richard Atkinson of Farleton had a mare worth £5 taken
p203
1678 Richard Atkinson had two cows worth over £7 and John Preston had a young steer worth over £2 taken
1679 Taken for Tithe of Hay, from Richard Atkinson, of Farleton, for 4s 2d a pair of Cart Wheels worth 16s.
p204
1681 Richard Atkinson, of Farleton, two Kine worth over £7 for a debt just over £1
p205
1683
a religious Meeting was held in the Barn of Richard Atkinson of Farleton, .....and fined many of them
from Richard Atkinson, two Oxen, a Cow, and five other Beasts value over £25, also in the list his son in law James Fell of Sedgewick had two Cows value  £7 taken

p206
1684 Richard Atkinson of Farleton goods to the value of 16s taken
Also for being absent from the National Form of Worship Jane, the wife of Richard Atkinson
Elizabeth wife of James Fell (daughter of Richard) along with others imprisoned
p207 not sure if this is the same Richard - for a meeting in Kendal
Richard Atkinson had five beasts and other goods worth over £13 taken
and also ? Richard Atkinson had cattle and corn valued over £39 taken and James Fell seven head of cattle worth £14
....................................
needs checking for typing errors and setting out error
have done enough for today
need to check entries against ancestry records again
hope some of this is of interest

It looks like Richard Atkinson and his family became quakers some time before 1672.
That he had a wife called Jane and daughters Elizabeth, Hannah and Deborah who all married Quakers and another daughter Jane and son John who died and were buried Quakers. Another Jane also of Farleton married Samuel Parrot.

Have not checked above information yet.
But I went to Preston to the Record Office on Wednesday - and looked at the two Richard Atkinson wills listed above. It was a quick visit and I made some very rough notes which may be of interest. I have ordered a copy of the will of 1720 and will try to transcribe it on here when it comes. The earlier will I could not read at all because it's in the old fashioned style of writing which I am no good with. The 1720 will was accompanied by an inventory total value £197. He left legacies to his daughters of £26 each. When you consider all the goods he had confiscated, you can see his family suffered loss of their inheritance too. I think it shows he was not a poor farmer. A sheet with the will also had the signatures of Sam Parrott, Deborah Bous.. and Joseph Goad.

relatives mentioned in the will -
formerly belonging to my Brother Robert Atkinson (land purchased by Richard)
Robert Chamber of Sidgwick my grandson (he inherited the estate)(son of daughter Elizabeth)
Daughter Jane ye wife of Samuell Parrat (this has thrown up another question - a daughter Jane buried 1672, then Jane married Samuell in 1683 ????)
Daughter Deborah Bowstead, widow
Son-in-law Joseph Goad
Granddaughter Elizabeth wife of John Moore
Granddaughter Sarah ye wife of Joshuah Suert
Granddaughter Jane wife of Thomas Ellwood
children of Granddaughter Sarah (Joshuah Suert) Elizabeth, James, John, Sarah
children of Granddaughter Jane (Thomas Ellwood) Elizabeth, Jane, Lydia, Sibill
children of Daughter Jane (Samuel Parrat) Richard, John, Joseph, Dorothy
children of my Granddaughter Dorothy, wife of John Tyson (daughter of Samuel Parrat - John Tyson is on my extended tree...) Mary, Jane, Esther
children of son-in-law Joseph Goad, Thomas, Joseph, Robert, Benjamin, John, Mary, Hannah
Richard son of Son-in-law Joseph Goad
Joseph son of Grandson Thomas Goad
children of Daughter Deborah Bowstead, widdow John, Deborah, Mary
NEPHEW Rowland Atkinson of Farleton, his two sisters Eliner and Anne

he also mentions Richard Thexstone, my servant and Elinor Pennington, my maid servant

he signed the will with his mark a capital R.
..................................................................
what can we deduce from this will. Richard was a great grandfather when he died in 1720, say his daughter was about 20 when her son Robert Chamber was born in 1675  and Richard was about 20 when Elizabeth was born that means Richard was born before 1635, would make Richard about 85 when he died. This is all just guess work. It is my feeling that men married when they were older because they had to be able to support a family, if so then Richard was probably older.
Unfortunately no mention of his late wife Jane or relatives who might have been related to her.
..................................................................
Photocopy of the will has arrived - shall attempt to transcribe (shall keep coming back to this, two sheets of photocopy )......
"I Richard Atkinson of ffarleton in ye parish of Bethome & County of Westmland Yeom Being grown aged & Infirme of Body yet Nevetherless of sound Pfect & disposeing Mind & Memorie Bles ye Name of ye Lord Thowpow (or ?horepore) and Caling to mind the uncertain Estate of this Mortalland and Transity Life & Going Mindfull to order dispose of & setle ye Tempall Estate wch ye Lord in mercy hath been pleased to Bless me with & bestow upon me so as if ? may make Effect after my Decease according to my will & mind Do therefore make publick & declare this my present? will & ????? Contamine therein my Last Will in Maner & fform ffollowing That is to say ffirst & Cheifely Comitt & reccomend my Soule & Spirit into ye Mercyfull Hand of Almighty God my Great & Redeem & my Body to ye Earth to be desently Interred at ye Discression of my Execut herein after named and Touching ye disposition of my LandsTenents& Heriditants I will & Devise thereof as ffolloweth .....first I Give grant Devise & bequeath all ye my ffreehold Messuage & ?tenent & Heriditamts I will & Devise there of as ffolloweth (?) ffirst I Give grant Devise & bequeath all ye my ffreehold Messuage tenemt Houses outhouses Gardens Orchards Lands grounds Hereditams? & applences? whatsoever wch I late purchases ye ffee? of situate at & near ffarleton afforesd where I now Dwell and alsoe all ye my Close or Inclosure of ffreehold Land Comonly Called& known by ye name of Mains wth all & singular its Rights Members & apptences situate h?eing & being wthin the precinct or Liberty of ffarleton afforesd fformly belonging to my Brother Robert Atkinson Decd? and ye Reversion & Rev?ons Remaind & Remainders Rents ffines? and pro? thereof & of every parte & parcell thereof unto Robert Chamber of Sidgswick in ye sd County of Westmland my Grandson his Heirs & Assigns absolutely fforever to Enter into ye possession thereof at or upon ye second day of ye Twelveth Month caled ffebruary next Ensueing & Immediately ffollowing after my Decease subject to & Charged & Chargeable never the less with ye ffull ???? of Eighty pounds of Lawfull Mony of great Brittain, to be pd at ye End of Thre year next after he ye sd Robert Chamber his Heirs or Assigns shall enter into ye persession thereof unto such persons as is after in these psents? mentioned (that is to say) to my Daughter Jane ye wife of Samuell Parrat ye sum of Twenty Six pounds Therteen Shillings & ffour pence part thereof and to my Daughter Deborah Bowstead Widdow ye like Sum of Twenty Six pounds Therteen Shillings & ffour pence more ????? and to my son in law Joseph Goad ye Sum of TwentySix pounds Therteen Shillings ffour pence more Residue of ye sd Eighty pounds and it is my will & mind in case it shall happen if any of them decease & depart this life before ye sd severall & ?espective sums of Twent Six pounds Therteen Shillings ffour pence above given to each of them shall grow due & payable in maner as affo? hat then ye parte & share of her him or them so deceasing shall ? remain to & amongst her his or their children parte & parte like to them to be divided and paid ? I Give Grant Devise & bequeath all those my Customeary Lands Closes Inclosures & parcells of ground with all & singular their & every of their eight Meinv Hereditain & appetence what soever situate ?eing & being within ye precinct or Liberty of ffarleton afforesd and are holden of Hugh Lord Cliford by & und ye paymt of ye yearly Customeary Rent of Tenn Shilling Eight pence at ye useuell rent days their accustomed with othe dues dulys ffines & services and alsoe all ye my parcell of Customeary Land with appitenies Situate lieing & being within ye sd Liberty of ffarleton and are holen of Lord Wharton by & under ye paymt of ye yearly & Customeary Rents of one Shilling two pence at ye useuall rent days their accustome & with other dues Dutys fines & services and ye Reversion & Reversions Remaind and Remainders Rent ???? & profils thereof & of every parte & pcell thereof unto the above Named Robert Chamber my Grandson his Heirs & assign absolutely fforever to enter into ye possesion Whereof upon ye seccond day of ye Twelveth Month Caled ffebruary Next ensueing & Immediately ffollowing after my Deceasse Itm Whereas I have above in there present directed Limited & appointed ye my Grandson Robert Chamber his Heirs & asigns shall ??? enter into ye possession of my Messuage Tenemt Lands Grounds & Hereditamt above given & Divise to him untill ye seccond day of ye Twelveth month Caled ffebruery next after my Decease Now my Will & Mind is that my Exets herein after Named shall have hold possess & Injoy the Rents ??? & profit ye my sd Lands Tenemts & Hereditam Shall produce betwixt ye time of my deease & ye time above Limited & appointed for my sd Grand son Robert Chamber his Heirs or assings Entry into ye same Equally amonst them parte & parte like to be devided porvided always nevertheless my Will & Mind is in Case it shall happen ye I do Decease & depart this Life after ye seccond day of ye Month Caled ffebruary & below acropp? Shall be sett on ye sd Lands that then & in such Case my Execs Shall not plow & Sow more of ye sd Lands in ye year then I in my Life time usually & ordnarely plowed in one year Itm I Give Grant Devise & Bequeath all ye my piece or parcell of mos ground with  ???? all its rights ment? & apptences Lieing in a Certain Mos Caled & known by ye name of Hale Mos & are holden of James Lord Derby by & under ye paymt of ye yearly Customy Rent of Eleven pence at ye useuall Rent days their attuslomed? with all other Dues Dutys ffines & Services Unto my sd Grandson Robert Chamber his Heirs& assigns fforever to enter into ye possession thereof Imediately after my Decease and Touching ye disposution of my pesonall Estate I Will & devise thereof as ffolloweth vis. I ffirst it is my Will & Mind & I Give & Bequeath unto my Grandson Robert Chamber above named ye sum of ffive shillings & my Best Linn Shift ??? I Give & Bequeath to my There Grand Daughter Elizaberth wife of John Moore Sarah ye Wife of Joshuah Suert & Jane the wife of Thomas Ellwood each of them ffive shillings a piece nd to Elizabeth James John & Sarah Children of my GrandDaughter Saray ye wife of Joshuah Suert each of them ffive shilling a piece and to Elizabeth Jane Lydia & Sibill Children of my Grand Daughter Jane ye wife of Thomas Ellwood Each of them ffive shillings apiece and to Richard John Joseph & Dorothy Children of my Daughter Jane the wife of Samuell Parrat Each of them ffive shilling apiece and to Mary Jane & Esther Children of my GrandDaughter Dorothy ye Wife of John Tyson each of them ffive shillings a piece and to Thomas Joseph Robert Benjamin John Mary & Hannah Children of my sonn in Law Joseph Goud each of them ffive shilling a piece and to Richard Goad sonn of my sd sonn in Law Joseph Goad I Give ye sum of ffive pounds and to Joseph son of my Grandson Thomas Goad I Give ffive shillings and to John Deborah & Mary Children of my Daughter Deborah Bowstead Widdow I give each ffive shillings a piece Itm I Give & Bequeath unto Richard Thexstone my servant the sum of Tenn pounds & alsoe all my wearing apparell both Linning & Wolling hatts shows Boots & whatever else is or hath been any parte of my apparell onr ff???? in line past upon occassion of Trabill my left Lin shirts only exceptedItm I give unto Elinor Penington my Maid servant one Ginmey Itm I give to my Nephew Rowland Atkinson of ffarleton afforesd two shillings six pence and to his Two sisters Eliner & Anne I alsoe give each of them ye like sum of Two shillings sixpence a piece Itm I Give to ye poor of the Town of ffarleton afforesd the sum of Twenty shillings to be distrebuited amonst them at ye ye disseression of my Executors herein after named within Two months next fter my Decease Itm I Give & Bequeath to Richard Skyrin of Lupton in ye County of Westmeland aftforesd ye sum of fforty shilling to be by him disposed of amongsy ye pooreest sorte of my ffriends caled Quakers wch Commonly ffrequent & belong to ye Meeting of those my friends Caled Quakers of Preston Meeting Itm all ye rest residue & Remainder of all & Sinjular my goods Credils Cattels Chattells & personall Estate whatsoever or wheresoever remaining after this my present Testant performed & ffullfilled I give Devise & Bequeath unto my Daughter Jane ye wife of Sammuell Parrat my Daughter Deborah Bowstead Widdow & my son in Law Joseph Goad Equally amonst them parte a& parte like to be Devided and I make nominate Constitute & appointe them ye sd Jane Deborah & Joseph Joyte Executors of this my Last will & Testamt and I will that they shall pay & Discharge all ye Legacys  above by me Given & Bequesthed out of my personall Estate within one year next after my Decease and alsoe pay & Discharge my Just Debts and ffunerall Expences and in witness that whatis above written & Contained on this Sheet of paper is my very will & mind & a ffull Revo?ation of all fformer & other wills and Thestaments whatsoever I have to there plents? as my very Last Will & testamt sett to my Hand & Seal in the pesence of these Wittnesses whose Names are subscribed this Seccond Day of ye Eleventh Month Caled January Ano Dom 1717

his mark & Seal Richard Atkinson (his mark a capital R)

Rowland Atkinson
Edmond Gibson
Thomas Carmell Junr.
John Skyrin
(I NEED TO CHECK OVER THIS WILL- it is fairly clear but difficult to decipher the letters)

Preston Patrick

Part of the 1652 country - it was important in the birth of the Quakers.
George Fox visited.
It was the home of several of the valiant sixty.
From the book by Elfrida Vipont "George Fox and the Valiant Sixty", Ernest Taylor's List of the Valiant Sixty, slightly amended includes from Preston Patrick :
Audland, Ann, Wife of Shopkeeper
Audland, John, Linen Draper (farmer)
Camm, John, Yeoman (Husbandman)
Camm, Mabel, wife of Yeoman
Story, John, Husbandman
Waugh, Dorothy, Servant
Waugh, Jane, Servant
Wilkinson, John, Husbandman

"George Fox went on to stay with John and Mabel Camm, great friends of the Audlands, who lived at Camsgill, a little farmhouse near Preston Patrick, not far from Milnthorpe. The Seekers from all over that area were to attend a general meeting at Preston Patrick chapel on Wednesday, June 16th, and George Fox's arrival was confidently and eagerly expected. The little building stood on the hillock which dominates the village, where now stands the village church. "

Part of the Westmorland Seekers?
A good place to start is by looking at a map of the area, especially one where Quaker related places are marked - so I find this one by google "preston patrick quakers map" and the one you want is Preston Patrick and Crosslands with address something like www.lancaster.ac.uk/quakers/ links/prestonpat_g.html it shows where the church, Preston Patrick Hall, Camsgill and Crosslands are, and if you scroll down southwards you can find Farleton and Lupton.
This website says the meeting house was built in 1691 before then the Quakers would have met in each others homes, even though for a time this was outlawed they continued meeting knowing that their neighbours could be tempted to snitch on them.
An interesting article found through google "George Fox's Preston Patrick Friends" by Ernest E Taylor 1924 on a site with address starting Digitalcommons.georgefox.edu
From this article I would like to know more about "knitting of caps and jerseys for the Kendal trade"
Also this aricle tells us that Camsgill was rebuilt by John Camm and he carved a panel for the brideswain dated 1641.

I feel sure that even just as neighbours these people would have all known each other, that they shared the same religious convictions only indicates that they were even closer.

But Preston Patrick was also the place of early dispute within the Quakers. Elfrida Vipont writes "The new Women's Meetings, and the tighter organization generally, were among the causes of the Wilkinson-Story controversy, which is named for two of its leaders, John Wilkinson and John Story, both of Preston Patrick, and both belonging to the pioneering group of the Valiant Sixty. John Story was the young man responsible for the little scene at Crosslands, when he had offered his pipe to George Fox. It seems likely that the main friction started during the time of severe persecution after the passing of the Second Conventicle Act in 1670, when Friends at Preston Patrick bowed before the storm and began to meet secretly, in "ghylls, woods and unaccustomed places", and were censured for so doing. This was not the only controversy which troubled the growing movement, but it was probably the most bitter, the more so because its leaders were included in the apostolic group of 1652. It involved an attack on George Fox's authority, which seems ironic, coming at a time when he had been at some pains, in his reorganization of the Society, to shift the burden of authority on to other and younger shoulders."
It led to separation within the Quakers.
This point of history leads me to thinking about bias in the history we are left with. Those who were literate and lived a long life left their own record of history as they saw it - were they unbiased? can we know the attitude of those not represented.
For those who share my ancestry we are looking here at our most interesting direct ancestors, for I believe Robert Story was in there at the beginning of the Quaker movement but nothing is written of him and we have little evidence so this is only my opinion. I will write a post on him and his family later but I do wonder if he was somehow related to John Story and suffered from the controversy in the 1670s. Robert Story died in 1665, his wife and one of his daughters in 1670.

Early history, records and my opinions.

They were the Society of Friends. Quakers was a derisive name they were given which stuck.

I shall use Quakers because it is quicker to type.

The early history of the Quakers is available to read online - go to archive.org and search for The beginnings of Quakerism. It was published in 1912 by William C(harles) Braithwaite. This is a free (and brilliant) site, sometimes you have to change the format so that it is the scans of the book itself that you are looking at, you can enlarge the image and turn the pages with the arrows or by "flicking" across the page (which I often unintentionally do). It is like reading the actual book but I confess I have not read it all yet, and I prefer looking at the actual book in the reference library. 

The following is my own understanding, at the moment (it may well change as I learn more).

Change did not come overnight, it was a gradual process and influenced by many things.

It was a time of uncertainty in the world, the old way of life had been traumatically changed by the whim of a Tudor King - Henry VIII  and the stirrings of independent thought in Europe against the corrupt Catholic Church leading to Protestant religions. The people still wanted a religion, but they wanted one they could believe in, or they wanted to change the one they had, and different people wanted different things leading to the formation of different groups. So in England the Puritans developed alongside the new Church of England, whilst the Catholics were demonized ,and then came the Civil Wars which also must have been unsettling and confusing and frightening. A different kind of king, Oliver Cromwell was telling them now how they were to think and live and believe. And many people didn't know what to believe. It was a time of discussion and thinking. The Church was still central to life, it was not just a place they went to for worship - after services there would be debates and business was often conducted in the church grounds. The Church was central to the people - it was a way of controlling them and it was also a big business with a monopoly on belief, everyone had to give the Church (tax) money. At that time Royalty, government and religion were all tied together - you couldn't have one without the other and they were all controlled by the elite. News was distributed through the churches and it was a place to socialize. Ideas also spread because of the printing press - pamphlets were light to carry and cheaper than books, they were taken about the country by hawkers. The publishing of an English Bible gave people direct access to the scriptures and encouraged independent thinking, discussion and debate. Basically two things happened which led to the birth of the Quakers generally taken as a two week period in 1652 in Westmorland 1. George Fox had spent several years wandering about, trying to find his own personal answers as to faith and his beliefs, on his journey he found his way to Westmorland and there he found a group of people 2. now known as the Westmorland Seekers who did not want to belong to the established church and were seeking a new faith, they found their answer in George Fox's preaching. The events of that time are remembered by calling that area 1652 country, and Quakers still visit these places (there is much on the internet about 1652 country).

Personally, I think the world today is very much in the same position. Our way of life is being transformed by technology. Today we are told by the TV and other forms of media, how we should live, what values we should believe in etc. often by inference. There is a crisis of faith, many do not know what to believe. There are many different religions to choose from, which is the right one? and then there is the other greater god to whom so many worship - called materialism - and the world is still a frightening and confusing place. Not a civil war but terrorism is a threat within. And to decide what you do believe in takes conviction and courage - because if you do stand out you risk ridicule and worse.

What was so different about George Fox's message? He preached about the Inner Light - everyone could connect to God through themselves they did not need a priest. 

What did the Westmorland Seekers bring ? numbers, from them came some of the Valiant Sixty (but not actually sixty in number) usually traveling in pairs they went all about England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and even over the seas to Europe and America spreading the message and converting people - more than what George Fox could do alone. They also fetched an organization that was already in place.

George Fox was also a pacifist - perhaps in response to the Civil Wars. Quaker resistance was never violent but civil disobedience. There was no religious freedom in those days - Catholics and Jews were persecuted and the same happened to the Quakers. Because they no longer believed you needed the established church and a paid priest they did not see why they should have to pay for it, so they refused to pay the church (tax) tithe. This was a loss of revenue - and what if others followed suit, so the Quakers were to be punished and made an example of. The Quakers also showed them up by refusing to take oaths and showing the accepted respect of doffing hats to those considered "greater" (Quakers believed that all were equal before God). It all makes sense today, but then they were rebelling and revolutionary - a threat to the established way of life. And they were punished, persecuted and suffered.

These sufferings were later recorded, as far as able by Joseph Besse - they also can be read online - A collection of the sufferings of the people called Quakers. Imprisonments, fines, taking of their goods in lieu, and even transportation - so to be an early Quaker must have taken courage and belief. They certainly were not in it for any advantages. I have read that our religious tolerance of today owes much to the Quakers and their suffering.

As the Quakers no longer went to Church they began keeping their own records of births, marriages and burials. When Civil Registration began in 1837 the job of recording bmds passed from church to government and nonconformist records, included those of the Quakers up to then were surrendered. It is those surrendered records which have been filmed and can be found on ancestry and the genealogist websites - both of which you have to pay for (but having used microfilmed versions I would say it is worth paying to see the online versions) however they are not easy to use. Some of the records are very difficult to read and understand. Not all the records have survived. I think that not all events were recorded, you find inserted births and sometimes whole families of children all recorded together. Some of the filmed pages are very dark. Some handwriting is easier to read than others. Events were first recorded in local meeting, then monthly meeting and quarterly meeting but not all have survived. So for some events you may only have one record for it, others you may have several. Sometimes the records differ slightly and you may get an extra bit of information. Record Offices also hold other records the Quakers kept - but I have not had any experience of looking at those other than removal certificates, the ones I have seen are just letters. (I also think that some marriage certificates may have survived in family records where the meeting record may not have survived - but no definite proof of this yet.) It has been noted by some that the records do not match, that one would expect to find a record for someone and it is not there ( Colthouse burials, one would expect some people to be buried there but they are not, nor elsewhere). Finding records is one thing, making sense and interpreting them another.

What follows is my interpretation, you may reach a different one.

Introduction

I am not a Quaker. I am not an expert in Quaker history. But I have Quaker roots. For several years I have stumbled in their history which I found confusing but fascinating. Through studying them I have come to understand more of the world today. For such a small group of people they went on to influence local, national and world history. As I keep going back to the records and piecing a bit more of the puzzle together I thought I should put some of it down here so I can refer back to what I have already done. As small communities all the people are interesting to us - if not our ancestors they were their neighbours and their friends. They had a common way of life which separated them from others, the writings of the Quakers can show us how our ancestors were living and thinking.
It is not the intention to provide a detailed history, or coherent record, I am too disorganised for that. I shall point in the direction of where I found useful information to my understanding, again not comprehensive - I have not looked at everything online or offline and the search continues.
As the basis is my Quaker roots most of this concerns the Quakers from the northwest of England - in particular Lancashire, Westmorland and a little Cheshire. Westmorland is considered as the birthplace of the Quakers and the period I am at present exploring is the early Quakers.
As some of my family will be looking at this - our relations will be identified using colour and numbers in brackets [] refer to an ancestor tree I have devised.