George Whitehead (Quaker leader)
Encyclopedia
George Whitehead was a leading early Quaker preacher
, author
and lobbyist remembered for his advocacy of religious freedom before three kings of England. His lobbying in defense of the right to practice the Quaker religion was influential on the Act of Uniformity
, the Bill of Rights of 1689
and the Royal Declaration of Indulgence
. His writings are both biographical and ideological in nature, examining the Quaker way of life.
, near Orton
, Westmorland
. He became convinced of Quaker principles by the time he reached the age of 14 and left home at 16, in 1652, in the belief that Christ had commanded him to preach. After a year of preaching in southern England, Whitehead became known as one of the Valiant Sixty
who travelled as Quaker preachers during a time of religious persecution, James Parnell and Edward Burrough
being the only other teenagers counted among the sixty.
He was arrested again on May 30, 1655 after associating with a man who posted a religious text on the church door in Bures, Suffolk
. He wrote;
In the following year Whitehead was publicly whipped for vagrancy in London and jailed in both Norwich and East Anglia. After returning to London in 1657 he married Ann Dower. Shortly after his marriage he was sent back to jail.
to argue against the passing of the Act of Uniformity
. The group was unsuccessful and the act became law the following year, resulting in the departure of nearly 2,000 clergymen from the English church.
Whitehead remained in London throughout the difficult times that followed. In 1665 he was praying at the bedsides of dying Quakers as the plague
claimed the lives of close to 100,000 throughout England. The following year brought the Great Fire of London
and again Whitehead remained in London to pray with victims. He was imprisoned again in 1668 after a meeting with several Friends that would serve as inspiration for his next mission., when Whitehead led a group of Friends in obtaining for individuals persecuted for their religion a pardon directly from King Charles II
and known as the Royal Declaration of Indulgence
. It called for the release of 490 persons from English jails, among them John Bunyan
who would go on to be one of Whitehead's greatest public critics. This was one of several major steps towards freedom of religious worship in England.
In May 1685, accompanied by Alexander Parker and Gilbert Latey, he appealed to King James II
to honor the agreement made with King Charles II, the King blaming Presbyterians in Parliament
for voiding the declaration. Again a declaration was issued that pardoned more prisoners of religious persecution.
In 1689 led a group of men before King William III
to plead for a continuation of pardons and rights for the religiously persecuted. The meeting was successful and would influence the king in the creation of the Bill of Rights of 1689
. Of this meeting Whitehead said:
George Whitehead died in 1723 and was laid to rest in the Quaker ground at Bunhill Fields
, next to another of the Quaker movement founders, George Fox
.
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and lobbyist remembered for his advocacy of religious freedom before three kings of England. His lobbying in defense of the right to practice the Quaker religion was influential on the Act of Uniformity
Act of Uniformity 1662
The Act of Uniformity was an Act of the Parliament of England, 13&14 Ch.2 c. 4 ,The '16 Charles II c. 2' nomenclature is reference to the statute book of the numbered year of the reign of the named King in the stated chapter...
, the Bill of Rights of 1689
Bill of Rights 1689
The Bill of Rights or the Bill of Rights 1688 is an Act of the Parliament of England.The Bill of Rights was passed by Parliament on 16 December 1689. It was a re-statement in statutory form of the Declaration of Right presented by the Convention Parliament to William and Mary in March 1689 ,...
and the Royal Declaration of Indulgence
Royal Declaration of Indulgence
The Royal Declaration of Indulgence was Charles II of England's attempt to extend religious liberty to Protestant nonconformists and Roman Catholics in his realms, by suspending the execution of the penal laws that punished recusants from the Church of England...
. His writings are both biographical and ideological in nature, examining the Quaker way of life.
Early life
Whitehead was born at SunbigginSunbiggin
Sunbiggin is a hamlet in the Eden District, in the English county of Cumbria.- Transport :For transport there is the M6 motorway, A685 road, B6260 road and B6261 road nearby. It has a tarn called Sunbiggin Tarn.- References :...
, near Orton
Orton, Eden
Orton is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, south of Penrith, Cumbria, from Appleby-in-Westmorland, the M6 motorway near to the Lake District. It is set at the foot of Orton Scar in the upper Lune Valley...
, Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
. He became convinced of Quaker principles by the time he reached the age of 14 and left home at 16, in 1652, in the belief that Christ had commanded him to preach. After a year of preaching in southern England, Whitehead became known as one of the Valiant Sixty
Valiant Sixty
The Valiant Sixty were a group of early leaders and activists in the Religious Society of Friends . They were itinerant preachers, mostly from northern England who spread the ideas of the Friends during the second half of the Seventeenth Century, and were also called the First Publishers of Truth...
who travelled as Quaker preachers during a time of religious persecution, James Parnell and Edward Burrough
Edward Burrough
Edward Burrough was an early English Quaker leader and controversialist. He is regarded as one of the Valiant Sixty, early Quaker preachers and missionaries....
being the only other teenagers counted among the sixty.
Ministry
Whitehead found himself jailed frequently. The first of several incarcerations occurred in 1654: while he was visiting Peter's Church in Norwich Whitehead addressed a gathering upon the conclusion the service and was jailed by the mayor for disseminating an unorthodox opinion about baptism. When Whitehead appeared in court he was sent back to jail for failing to remove his hat in the presence of the judge.He was arrested again on May 30, 1655 after associating with a man who posted a religious text on the church door in Bures, Suffolk
Bures, England
Bures is a village in eastern England. Because of its location straddling the Essex/Suffolk border, it is divided into two civil parishes: Bures Hamlet in Essex and Bures St. Mary in Suffolk. The village is thus served by two county councils, three district councils , two Members of Parliament and...
. He wrote;
In the following year Whitehead was publicly whipped for vagrancy in London and jailed in both Norwich and East Anglia. After returning to London in 1657 he married Ann Dower. Shortly after his marriage he was sent back to jail.
Advocate of religious freedom
By 1660 Whitehead had settled down, was staying out of jail, preaching less and working as a grocer in London to support his family. In 1661 he was persuaded to join a group of Friends appearing before the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
to argue against the passing of the Act of Uniformity
Act of Uniformity 1662
The Act of Uniformity was an Act of the Parliament of England, 13&14 Ch.2 c. 4 ,The '16 Charles II c. 2' nomenclature is reference to the statute book of the numbered year of the reign of the named King in the stated chapter...
. The group was unsuccessful and the act became law the following year, resulting in the departure of nearly 2,000 clergymen from the English church.
Whitehead remained in London throughout the difficult times that followed. In 1665 he was praying at the bedsides of dying Quakers as the plague
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
claimed the lives of close to 100,000 throughout England. The following year brought the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
and again Whitehead remained in London to pray with victims. He was imprisoned again in 1668 after a meeting with several Friends that would serve as inspiration for his next mission., when Whitehead led a group of Friends in obtaining for individuals persecuted for their religion a pardon directly from King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and known as the Royal Declaration of Indulgence
Royal Declaration of Indulgence
The Royal Declaration of Indulgence was Charles II of England's attempt to extend religious liberty to Protestant nonconformists and Roman Catholics in his realms, by suspending the execution of the penal laws that punished recusants from the Church of England...
. It called for the release of 490 persons from English jails, among them John Bunyan
John Bunyan
John Bunyan was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress. Though he was a Reformed Baptist, in the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August, and on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church on 29 August.-Life:In 1628,...
who would go on to be one of Whitehead's greatest public critics. This was one of several major steps towards freedom of religious worship in England.
In May 1685, accompanied by Alexander Parker and Gilbert Latey, he appealed to King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
to honor the agreement made with King Charles II, the King blaming Presbyterians in Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
for voiding the declaration. Again a declaration was issued that pardoned more prisoners of religious persecution.
In 1689 led a group of men before King William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
to plead for a continuation of pardons and rights for the religiously persecuted. The meeting was successful and would influence the king in the creation of the Bill of Rights of 1689
Bill of Rights 1689
The Bill of Rights or the Bill of Rights 1688 is an Act of the Parliament of England.The Bill of Rights was passed by Parliament on 16 December 1689. It was a re-statement in statutory form of the Declaration of Right presented by the Convention Parliament to William and Mary in March 1689 ,...
. Of this meeting Whitehead said:
George Whitehead died in 1723 and was laid to rest in the Quaker ground at Bunhill Fields
Bunhill Fields
Bunhill Fields is a cemetery in the London Borough of Islington, north of the City of London, and managed by the City of London Corporation. It is about 4 hectares in extent, although historically was much larger....
, next to another of the Quaker movement founders, George Fox
George Fox
George Fox was an English Dissenter and a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends.The son of a Leicestershire weaver, Fox lived in a time of great social upheaval and war...
.