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WORMINGHURST

[CHAP. XI

to

Probably in consequence of these repeated family troubles, William Penn removed Walthamstow, where he evidently still possessed a house, and there Springett, their fourth child, was born, November 25, 1675.

It has been said that Gulielma was an heiress, and besides money she brought property to her husband; and the Springett estate coming into her possession, they moved from Walthamstow to Worminghurst, in Sussex. No trace of their beautiful home remains; the ground has long been merged into the domains of the Duke of Norfolk. Worminghurst House was situated on an eminence overlooking the Downs, within a few miles of the sea, the grounds were laid out with taste, and it was a very charming and suitable home, where at last they felt they could settle in peace among their friends, and bring up their family in the way that they desired. Numerous Quakers began to assemble in their neighbourhood, no doubt to benefit by Penn's ministry, and here they hoped to live for the rest of their lives, little dreaming of the many changes of circumstances they were yet to encounter.

1 Penn and Logan, Correspondence, vol. i., chap. xvii.

CHAPTER XII

ROBERT BARCLAY

In 1676 William Penn was called upon to undertake the management of colonial concerns in New Jersey, so many Quakers having migrated to North America, that it was necessary for their interests to be attended to; thus it was that he was first brought into contact with the new world across the Atlantic.

The first European settlers in that part of the globe were the Dutch, who founded a West Indian Company. In 1623, Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, hearing of this, sent out some of his Swedish subjects the following year, and they built forts and towns and Lutheran churches, their power, however, was broken by the English, who in 1664 became masters of the Hudson and the adjoining coast.

This territory, which was called New Jersey, had been granted by Charles II. to his brother, the Duke of York, together with all the land about Delaware Bay, though the Dutch, already

98

DISSENSIONS AMONG QUAKERS (CHAP. XII

in possession, highly resented the English claims.

This land the Duke made over to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, and the latter sold his half share to a Quaker residing there, named John Fenwick, in trust for one, Edward Byllinge. Fenwick afterwards refused to abide by the terms of the trust, and William Penn was requested to settle the matter by arbitration.

Nothing distressed him more than quarrels among the Quakers, and he wrote in a very strong letter on the subject.

In 1676 Fenwick had come to his senses. Penn was appointed a co-trustee, and sent out a commission for the settlement of affairs, and the laying out of the money. A town arose in consequence, called New Beverley, the next step was to form a constitution, and the task fell almost exclusively on William Penn.

He drew up what he called concessions. Friends were invited to become settlers there, and a description of New Jersey, its climate and produce, was published, so that none might be deceived or repent of their undertaking.

There had been Quakers in America since 1658 and earlier, and it must not be supposed that they had found it a land of refuge, or that

they were allowed to worship in peace, the American Commonwealth would have none of them. The general Court of Massachusetts enacted, October 19, 1658, that “any person or persons of the cursed sect of Quakers should, on conviction, be banished, on pain of death, from the jurisdiction of the State.” 1

Many were driven out of Boston, after suffering cruel persecution there. Every possible insult was offered to them, women were publicly flogged, and many were put to death, they were even sent to Barbadoes and Jamaica, and sold as slaves. At the best, they were looked on as lawless fanatics, and treated accordingly.

But as the years went on, and it was seen that they brought no wrong to the land of their adoption, milder counsels prevailed . regarding them. Their gentle mission was peace and goodwill and the freedom of the soul, and what those early martyrs prophesied is gospel and law to this day.

Numerous applications came to William Penn for purchase of land in New Jersey, and another commission was appointed by him to take out parties of Friends with their families to form homes in the new world.

One day two hundred of these families were about to depart in the good ship Kent, which

Janney's History of W. Penn.

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THE KING'S BLESSING [CHAP. XII was lying in the Thames ready to sail. It happened that King Charles's pleasure-barge was passing by. Seeing all these persons assembled, the king's curiosity was aroused, and he gave orders to be rowed alongside, and inquired whither they were bound, on receiving that information, he further asked if they were all Quakers. They answered in the affirmative.

In Charles's light and pleasure-seeking mind there was no room for hostility or prejudice, he rather sought amusement from the quaint doings of this sect, and his liking for Penn made him lenient towards them. So he gave them his blessing in his light-hearted, careless way, probably causing much merriment among his courtiers on the barge, and proceeded on his way down the river, but the devoted band were cheered, nevertheless, by their monarch's goodwill towards them.

What courage these simple people possessed ! Knowledge of geography was limited in the extreme to such as them, they started off knowing not where they were bound, but certain they would never see their native shores again. Yet such was their faith and trust, and such their desire for liberty to worship in peace, that they set sail in numbers with all confidence and hope.

The burden of the affairs of the Quakers, did not fall entirely on the shoulders of William Penn, for he shared many of them with Robert