Origins of the Quaker Movement

Timeline

1. 1647–1649Pendle Hill area · LancashireGeorge Fox traveled preaching in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and the midland counties, emphasizing that each person could directly receive Christ's "Inner Light," attacking established church priests and outward sacraments, and attracting large congregations dissatisfied with the religious chaos of the Civil War.
2. 1648–1649Derby · DerbyPreachers were mockingly called "Quakers" (guige) for their trembling, ecstatic states during trials and street sermons; the name was gradually adopted by the movement itself. Meetings became known for silent worship, refusal to bear arms, and refusal to swear oaths, and were frequently detained by local authorities.
3. c. 1649–1650London · LondonAround 1650, stable meeting points formed in London, Bristol, and elsewhere, with women preachers and merchant congregations participating side by side; the movement expanded from individual devotional groups into the rudiments of a religious organization with shared discipline and a common testimony.