The Society of Friends in Leighton Buzzard

In the early eighteenth century, the Bishop of Lincoln made a number of visitations to the county.

For each of these the local clergyman had to complete a questionnaire enquiring about a number of things, including those not of the Church of England.

Returns for 1706, 1709, 1717 and 1720 mention Quakers in Leighton Buzzard. The return of 1706 noted just one Quaker, that of 1709 "some Quakers". In 1717 no Quakers were specifically mentioned and in 1720, just a single woman was noted as being a Quaker. Not surprisingly, with such small numbers, no meetings are recorded

Former County Archivist Joyce Godber, herself a member of the Society of Friends (more commonly called Quakers) wrote Friends in Bedfordshire and West Hertfordshire in 1975. This article is based on her book and on the sources at Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service, listed below.

The first record of a Quaker meeting in Leighton Buzzard is in 1761 when the house of Joseph Brook was registered with Quarter Sessions [QSP43/3]. Registration bought the benefit of exemption from parish poor rates, exemption from control by the Charity Commission and the right to be licensed to carry out marriages.

Brook was a Yorkshire woolstapler. In 1773 it was decided to hold the next meeting to be held at the Hogsty End [Woburn Sands, Buckinghamshire] meeting at Brooks' house in Leighton instead "from a belief that many are truly convinced of our principles at Leighton Buzzard who are not in circumstances to attend this meeting". From then on both a Sunday (called First Day by Quakers) and weekday meeting were held in Leighton. Brooks' wife, Mary, wrote a Quaker book called Silent Waiting which went through a number of editions.

The present meeting was registered on 15th April 1789 as a "newly erected building called the Meeting House near the Alms Houses at the North End" by Joseph Brook, Benjamin Reeve, Peter Bassett and John Grant [QSR1789/3].

The building was provided by John Grant, Leighton Monthly Meeting clerk. In 1800 he decided to give the meeting to the Leighton Buzzard Friends, together with adjoining tenements. As it happened this conveyance was not made until 1844 by his widow Hannah. The strength of Quakerism at this time can be gauged by the Anglican Steward of the Manor of Leighton alias Grovebury, writing on the subject of the market tolls dispute: "I am surrounded by Quakers, dissenters, and radicals of the worst kind…I am almost alone…as church and king man". One of the main offenders as a non-payer in 1839 was John Grant, then aged 84 [KK918/3].

The Society of Friends continues to meet in the 18th century meeting house in North Street.

For more information on this or the archives generally contact Bedfordshire Archives via email at [email protected] or by phone on 01234 228833.