Attitudes to Women

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Consider the following from the minute book :- Ref.12

At our Preparative meetting at Rawden this 24th day of ye 10th mo: 1701
Whereas we whose names are under written being Apointed
overseers by the Monthly Meetting having under our
considderation what may tend to promote the keeping good
order in our Meetting do give it as our sence & judgment that
it is not Agreeable to the order of truth that where any
women friends does Aprehend that there is any offense given
by any man friend to the meetting of friends that they the
women friends shall take upon them to speak to or deal with
such A man friend without Aquainting the men overseers
therewith it being the place of the men overseers to deal
with men as they in their judgment and Accordding to the
order of truth shall see meett and convenient women being
the weaker vessells ought not to take (upon deleted) the
place of men friends for in so doing they render our
Apointment insignifycate and to no purpose and may cause
disatissfaction to friends:Likewise do give it as our sence
and judgment that it is not Agreeable to the order of truth
established among friends for any person to manifest public
disunity with any ministring friends, testimony in A meetting
whilest such ministring friend has not had any gospell order
given him but stands in A full (deleted) capacity of full
unity both with monthly and Quarterly meettings so that all
things may be done decently and in good order and women as
well as men may Learn to know their places and keep them
that there may be no just occasion of reproach to truth nor
any heart burning one Against Another but all friends may
dwell together both in the love and fear of god
Jonas Butterfeild
Abraham Grimshaw
William Hollings

It would appear that the male Friends at Rawdon in 1701 who considered women as the weaker vessels, got pretty angry when they disturbed the "good order" in the meeting !


One of George Fox’s Doctrinals printed in 1656 was called :-
"The woman learning in silence, or the mysterie of the woman’s subjection to her husband".

Ten years later, in 1666, Margaret Fell, wrote a pamplet:- Ref.13


George Fox married Margaret Fell, widow of Judge Fell of Swarthmoor Hall, Cumbria, in 1669. Let us hope to acquaint ourselves with Margaret Fells writing which for some readers will seem as radical in 1997 as it did in 1666.

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