Fox's Pulpit Quaker burial ground, Sedbergh, Cumbria
N 54° 20.261 W 002° 35.266
30U E 526802 N 6021172
High up on the fell side of Firbank next to Fox's Pulpit is a disused burial ground. A classic Quaker burial ground with shoulder high walls, squarish outline with one entrance gap. No horizontal stones in wall to form seats.
Waymark Code: WM1YT3
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/05/2007
Views: 47
Found on the east side of a single track road between the Lune valley and headwaters of the river Kent. On the southern perimeter is a crag (outcrop of rock) where George Fox led a meeting of early 'seekers', called Fox's Pulpit. A commemorative plaque marks the spot.
There was a chapel at this isolated spot, when Fox addressed a multitude of about a 1000 people in June 1652, for about 3 hours. Services are still held here, occasionally. The chapel fell down in a storm of the winter 1839-40, and was rebuilt on the other side of the fell, where the current Firbank chapel stands. see waymark.
When Fox was starting the Quaker movement they were not allowed to meet in 'steeplehouses' nor get 'sprinkled'. In 1689 the Act of Tolerance stopped the persecution of Quakers for not attending conventional church. Because Quakers were not 'sprinkled' (baptised) they could not be buried in a churchyard. So Friends acquired land for burial.
Firbank Quaker Burial ground
Firbank
Sedbergh
Cumbria
There are five headstones laid flat, and one erect headstone. There are probably several hundred buried here. Disused.
Quaker headstones, their removal.
The Yearly national Meeting in 1717 and again 1766 instructed that all headstones be removed from all Quaker burial grounds. Friends were erecting 'vain monuments' over their dead relatives graves. This decision was rescinded later (1850) and simple uniform headstones were used in each area to help relatives find their deceased. Eventually a pattern was agreed, with deceased's name, age and date of death inscribed on a simple locally made stone.
Quakers were unbaptised and were forbidden burial in "consecrated ground" or in church connected graveyards. They buried their dead on private land and would do the same for those forbidden burial in church consecrated land (unbelievers, condemned, suicides etc.).
Sources: Donald A Rooksby, The Man in Leather Breeches, A People to be Gathered, And Sometime Upon the Hills
Park on grass verge.
City, Town, or Parish / State / Country: Not listed
Approximate number of graves: Not listed
Cemetery Status: Not listed
Cemetery Website: Not listed
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