Wahroonga Friends Bulletin - 11 October 2023
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Wahroonga Friends Bulletin - 11 October 2023 The Quaker Exile: A Hidden History Comes to Light
Did you ever hear about a group of leading Philadelphia Quakers who were banished to the Virginia frontier for over seven months during the American Revolution? Did you know that these men were never charged, never convicted, and even denied the centuries-old right to habeas corpus? Even if you are relatively knowledgeable about the American Revolution, an aficionado of the Quaker past, or conversant in the chronicles of late 18th century Philadelphia, this chapter of history is probably completely unfamiliar to you. Don’t feel badly about your ignorance. The “Quaker exile,” although widely discussed during and immediately after its occurrence, has been nearly absent from the historical narrative for over 200 years. But no more.
Norman E. “Ned” Donoghue’s Prisoners of Congress, to be published in June by Penn State University Press, recounts the fascinating, complex, and distressing series of events that led to the forced expulsion of 20 men during the time of our nation’s founding. Donoghue, formerly an attorney with the Dechert law firm and a fundraiser for the Philadelphia Orchestra, first heard of the Quaker exile over 25 years ago. His curiosity was piqued, but it took the discovery of a familial connection to two of the key players—and, more importantly, retirement—to give Donoghue the motivation and the time to dig more deeply.
As Donoghue explains, Quakers had been among the wealthiest and most powerful residents of colonial Philadelphia. Drawn here to participate in William Penn’s “Holy Experiment” in religious tolerance, many Quakers became prosperous merchants as they freely practiced their religion based on direct and personal relationship with God, simplicity, equality, and pacifism. The Quakers’ pacifism, however, became increasingly problematic following the outbreak of war between the American Patriots and the British crown. For most of the 18th century, Quakers had dominated the Pennsylvania Assembly. But by the time of the Declaration of Independence, there were no longer any Quakers in Pennsylvania’s governing body. When the Pennsylvania Assembly required that individuals with a religious objection to bearing arms must pay for a substitute, the Quakers refused to do so. When the Assembly passed the Test Act of 1777, obligating all white men to take an oath of loyalty to the state, the Quakers again refused. This led to them losing both the right to vote and the right to hold office.
As British forces threatened to invade Philadelphia, Quakers declined to participate in preparations for the city’s defense. Nor would the Quakers donate blankets, wool stockings, or other materials desperately needed by the soldiers of the Continental Army. The Quakers also refused to use or accept the new Continental currency, arousing the ire of the fledgling Congress meeting in Philadelphia. Add in the fact that some Quakers were indeed active Loyalists, and the circulation of a (probably fabricated) letter in which a New Jersey Quaker Meeting gave military secrets to the British. The Quakers had become enemies of both the Pennsylvania Executive Council and the Congress.
Thus, on September 11, 1777, 20 men, all but one Quaker or formerly Quaker, were escorted out of Philadelphia, bound for the frontier town of Winchester, Virginia. There they would remain for the next seven months, never having been charged, much less convicted, of any crime. Nor were the Quakers even allowed a hearing to defend themselves, despite frequent requests. Prisoners of Congress tells the story of the escalating tensions that led to the Quaker exile in much more vivid and compelling detail than can be conveyed in this summary. The next section of the book describes the experience of the men in exile and of their families left behind in Philadelphia, enduring the hardships of the British occupation without the protection and income of husbands, sons, and fathers. In the final chapters, we learn how the men were eventually released and about the aftermath of the exile which included the public hanging of two Quaker men for treason in Centre Square, the location of today’s City Hall.
Donoghue writes with the clarity and precision of a lawyer and the enthusiasm and passion of a novice historian with a pet project. Although he is not a professional academic, Donoghue’s account is fully documented, rigorously sourced, and he received the counsel of numerous historians in relevant fields. Appendices, timelines, lists of key figures, and illustrations with detailed captions are further evidence of Donoghue’s thoroughness and commitment to bring this hidden history fully into view. Read more here https://hiddencityphila.org/2023/05/the-quaker-exile-a-hidden-history-comes-to-light/
See - Lunch at the Library: "Prisoners of Congress: Philadelphia’s Quakers in Exile"
with Ned DonoghueIn 1777, Congress labeled Quakers who would not take up arms in support of the War of Independence as “the most Dangerous Enemies America knows” and ordered Pennsylvania and Delaware to apprehend them. In response, Keystone State officials sent twenty men—seventeen of whom were Quakers—into exile, banishing them to Virginia, where they were held for a year. See it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8-2ZkBzvIU
Kindertransport: Birmingham
Plaque Honours Holocaust Hero
A plaque has been unveiled in honour of a woman who helped save hundreds of children from the Holocaust. Bertha Bracey aided relief operations in Germany and the Netherlands before and after World War Two. A founder of the Kindertransport, she helped rescue thousands of Nazi victims and lone children between 1933-1948. The plaque was unveiled by the Birmingham Civic Society and Bournville Village Trust at Bournville Quaker Meeting House. Her great-nephew, Steve Bamford, said the plaque was a "great honour". "We knew that Aunty Bertha had an OBE, but we were never quite sure what it was for and she didn't really talk about it," he said. "She wasn't one for blowing her own trumpet. It really wasn't until after she died we realised quite how important her role was."
Ms Bracey was born in Birmingham in 1893 and after graduating from Birmingham University, worked as a teacher before joining the Society of Friends, the Quakers at 18 - leaving the profession to work at Quaker centres in Austria and Germany as a youth and aid worker. She founded schools for refugees and led the Quaker team which formed part of the Movement for the Care of Children from Germany. In 1942 she was awarded an OBE for her service and leadership and three years later arranged for 300 orphans to be flown from a concentration camp to England. After the war, she joined the Allied Control Commission to help refugees in Germany and was later responsible for women's affairs in the American and British Zones of Occupation until she retired in 1953. She died in 1989, but in 2010 was recognised as a British Hero of the Holocaust by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The plaque will go on permanent display outside her former family home on Bournville Lane, in Bournville, where she lived in 1911 before leaving to begin a career and her humanitarian aid work.Penny Colbourne, from Birmingham Civic Society, said: "We hope this plaque will ensure Bertha is never forgotten and that the kindness, compassion and strength she showed through her selfless work will inspire others." https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-66891400
Hear - Meet Australian Quakers on
World Quaker DayThere are fewer than 1800 Quakers in Australia, according to the last census. But despite their small numbers globally , Quakers — also known as the Religious Society of Friends — have played no small part in peace and social justice movements in Australia and around the world. Hear Nelson File, Quaker and Principal of The Friends' School, Hobart talk about Quakers here https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/sundayextra/world-quaker-day/102921610
Thursday 12 and 26 October - Extreme Weather Workshop @ Wahroonga Meeting HouseDay 1: Thursday 12 October, 9.30 am- 4 pm
Day 2: Thursday 26 October, 9.30 am- 1 pm
Relationships Australia are holding a workshop to help communities prepare for and recover from extreme weather events (see attached flyer). The organizers have offered free entry to anyone (they’ve said to ignore the requirement to be in the Hornsby shire stated in the flyer) and have asked if I would advertise it to Quakers. Seems like something some Friends may be interested in. It’s being held in the Wahroonga Meeting House on Thursdays 12 and 26 October. Register here https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=txeNsNt1BUCALRED-w6LE-kPTlzIpWlDgaD-_gQtqbVUMTIwRVpCNEFYTUpCQkhUMTZCUzAwT1RITi4u More details here https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/lifestyle/events/sustainability/community-workshop
October QBC -
Movings of Divine Love: The Love of God in the Letters of John WoolmanThe October Quaker Book Club (QBC) selection is Movings of Divine Love: The Love of God in the Letters of John Woolman by Drew Lawson.
The mystical experience contains an invitation to action. From the place of deep prayer arises our call to be ministers. In the Silence we are given much, and much will be asked of us. To minister requires the gifts of humility and perseverance and the recognition that though we may be invited to do what we find difficult, it is not difficult for God.
This book makes available many of the letters of John Woolman and offers Drew Lawson’s reflections on themes arising from Woolman’s letters in the light of Lawson’s own experience of the spiritual journey. The book investigates the following themes: the love of God, brokenness, abandonment to God, being led through God’s love, crucifixion (paying the price of faithfulness), and resurrection. Woolman’s words describe the eternal in ordinary events and resonate across time. Obtain a copy here Movings of Divine Love by Drew Lawson and Charles H Martin (Paperback)
e-Wahroonga
View and search the Wahroonga Meeting library at http://www.librarything.com/catalog/wahroongafriends
Send news of f/Friends and newsletter items to quiver...@yahoo.com.au Agenda items for Business Meeting should be emailed at wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info or handed to a co-clerk. Visit us at "Our Home" First days (Sunday), 9.30 am Meeting for Worship - Wahroonga Friends Meeting, your local peace church. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) 59 Boundary Road Wahroonga NSW 2076 Email:wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info Web: Wahroonga Local Meeting | Australia Yearly Meeting A Zoom meeting occurs 9.30 am Sundays Meeting link Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting 918 558 7747 Passcode: 554662 Phone: 02 8015 6011 Please contact Paul Carter if you have any problems connecting 0433 886 093
Did you ever hear about a group of leading Philadelphia Quakers who were banished to the Virginia frontier for over seven months during the American Revolution? Did you know that these men were never charged, never convicted, and even denied the centuries-old right to habeas corpus? Even if you are relatively knowledgeable about the American Revolution, an aficionado of the Quaker past, or conversant in the chronicles of late 18th century Philadelphia, this chapter of history is probably completely unfamiliar to you. Don’t feel badly about your ignorance. The “Quaker exile,” although widely discussed during and immediately after its occurrence, has been nearly absent from the historical narrative for over 200 years. But no more.
Norman E. “Ned” Donoghue’s Prisoners of Congress, to be published in June by Penn State University Press, recounts the fascinating, complex, and distressing series of events that led to the forced expulsion of 20 men during the time of our nation’s founding. Donoghue, formerly an attorney with the Dechert law firm and a fundraiser for the Philadelphia Orchestra, first heard of the Quaker exile over 25 years ago. His curiosity was piqued, but it took the discovery of a familial connection to two of the key players—and, more importantly, retirement—to give Donoghue the motivation and the time to dig more deeply.
As Donoghue explains, Quakers had been among the wealthiest and most powerful residents of colonial Philadelphia. Drawn here to participate in William Penn’s “Holy Experiment” in religious tolerance, many Quakers became prosperous merchants as they freely practiced their religion based on direct and personal relationship with God, simplicity, equality, and pacifism. The Quakers’ pacifism, however, became increasingly problematic following the outbreak of war between the American Patriots and the British crown. For most of the 18th century, Quakers had dominated the Pennsylvania Assembly. But by the time of the Declaration of Independence, there were no longer any Quakers in Pennsylvania’s governing body. When the Pennsylvania Assembly required that individuals with a religious objection to bearing arms must pay for a substitute, the Quakers refused to do so. When the Assembly passed the Test Act of 1777, obligating all white men to take an oath of loyalty to the state, the Quakers again refused. This led to them losing both the right to vote and the right to hold office.
As British forces threatened to invade Philadelphia, Quakers declined to participate in preparations for the city’s defense. Nor would the Quakers donate blankets, wool stockings, or other materials desperately needed by the soldiers of the Continental Army. The Quakers also refused to use or accept the new Continental currency, arousing the ire of the fledgling Congress meeting in Philadelphia. Add in the fact that some Quakers were indeed active Loyalists, and the circulation of a (probably fabricated) letter in which a New Jersey Quaker Meeting gave military secrets to the British. The Quakers had become enemies of both the Pennsylvania Executive Council and the Congress.
Thus, on September 11, 1777, 20 men, all but one Quaker or formerly Quaker, were escorted out of Philadelphia, bound for the frontier town of Winchester, Virginia. There they would remain for the next seven months, never having been charged, much less convicted, of any crime. Nor were the Quakers even allowed a hearing to defend themselves, despite frequent requests. Prisoners of Congress tells the story of the escalating tensions that led to the Quaker exile in much more vivid and compelling detail than can be conveyed in this summary. The next section of the book describes the experience of the men in exile and of their families left behind in Philadelphia, enduring the hardships of the British occupation without the protection and income of husbands, sons, and fathers. In the final chapters, we learn how the men were eventually released and about the aftermath of the exile which included the public hanging of two Quaker men for treason in Centre Square, the location of today’s City Hall.
Donoghue writes with the clarity and precision of a lawyer and the enthusiasm and passion of a novice historian with a pet project. Although he is not a professional academic, Donoghue’s account is fully documented, rigorously sourced, and he received the counsel of numerous historians in relevant fields. Appendices, timelines, lists of key figures, and illustrations with detailed captions are further evidence of Donoghue’s thoroughness and commitment to bring this hidden history fully into view. Read more here https://hiddencityphila.org/2023/05/the-quaker-exile-a-hidden-history-comes-to-light/
See - Lunch at the Library: "Prisoners of Congress: Philadelphia’s Quakers in Exile"
with Ned DonoghueIn 1777, Congress labeled Quakers who would not take up arms in support of the War of Independence as “the most Dangerous Enemies America knows” and ordered Pennsylvania and Delaware to apprehend them. In response, Keystone State officials sent twenty men—seventeen of whom were Quakers—into exile, banishing them to Virginia, where they were held for a year. See it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8-2ZkBzvIU
Kindertransport: Birmingham
Plaque Honours Holocaust Hero
A plaque has been unveiled in honour of a woman who helped save hundreds of children from the Holocaust. Bertha Bracey aided relief operations in Germany and the Netherlands before and after World War Two. A founder of the Kindertransport, she helped rescue thousands of Nazi victims and lone children between 1933-1948. The plaque was unveiled by the Birmingham Civic Society and Bournville Village Trust at Bournville Quaker Meeting House. Her great-nephew, Steve Bamford, said the plaque was a "great honour". "We knew that Aunty Bertha had an OBE, but we were never quite sure what it was for and she didn't really talk about it," he said. "She wasn't one for blowing her own trumpet. It really wasn't until after she died we realised quite how important her role was."
Ms Bracey was born in Birmingham in 1893 and after graduating from Birmingham University, worked as a teacher before joining the Society of Friends, the Quakers at 18 - leaving the profession to work at Quaker centres in Austria and Germany as a youth and aid worker. She founded schools for refugees and led the Quaker team which formed part of the Movement for the Care of Children from Germany. In 1942 she was awarded an OBE for her service and leadership and three years later arranged for 300 orphans to be flown from a concentration camp to England. After the war, she joined the Allied Control Commission to help refugees in Germany and was later responsible for women's affairs in the American and British Zones of Occupation until she retired in 1953. She died in 1989, but in 2010 was recognised as a British Hero of the Holocaust by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The plaque will go on permanent display outside her former family home on Bournville Lane, in Bournville, where she lived in 1911 before leaving to begin a career and her humanitarian aid work.Penny Colbourne, from Birmingham Civic Society, said: "We hope this plaque will ensure Bertha is never forgotten and that the kindness, compassion and strength she showed through her selfless work will inspire others." https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-66891400
Hear - Meet Australian Quakers on
World Quaker DayThere are fewer than 1800 Quakers in Australia, according to the last census. But despite their small numbers globally , Quakers — also known as the Religious Society of Friends — have played no small part in peace and social justice movements in Australia and around the world. Hear Nelson File, Quaker and Principal of The Friends' School, Hobart talk about Quakers here https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/sundayextra/world-quaker-day/102921610
Thursday 12 and 26 October - Extreme Weather Workshop @ Wahroonga Meeting HouseDay 1: Thursday 12 October, 9.30 am- 4 pm
Day 2: Thursday 26 October, 9.30 am- 1 pm
Relationships Australia are holding a workshop to help communities prepare for and recover from extreme weather events (see attached flyer). The organizers have offered free entry to anyone (they’ve said to ignore the requirement to be in the Hornsby shire stated in the flyer) and have asked if I would advertise it to Quakers. Seems like something some Friends may be interested in. It’s being held in the Wahroonga Meeting House on Thursdays 12 and 26 October. Register here https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=txeNsNt1BUCALRED-w6LE-kPTlzIpWlDgaD-_gQtqbVUMTIwRVpCNEFYTUpCQkhUMTZCUzAwT1RITi4u More details here https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/lifestyle/events/sustainability/community-workshop
October QBC -
Movings of Divine Love: The Love of God in the Letters of John WoolmanThe October Quaker Book Club (QBC) selection is Movings of Divine Love: The Love of God in the Letters of John Woolman by Drew Lawson.
The mystical experience contains an invitation to action. From the place of deep prayer arises our call to be ministers. In the Silence we are given much, and much will be asked of us. To minister requires the gifts of humility and perseverance and the recognition that though we may be invited to do what we find difficult, it is not difficult for God.
This book makes available many of the letters of John Woolman and offers Drew Lawson’s reflections on themes arising from Woolman’s letters in the light of Lawson’s own experience of the spiritual journey. The book investigates the following themes: the love of God, brokenness, abandonment to God, being led through God’s love, crucifixion (paying the price of faithfulness), and resurrection. Woolman’s words describe the eternal in ordinary events and resonate across time. Obtain a copy here Movings of Divine Love by Drew Lawson and Charles H Martin (Paperback)
e-Wahroonga
View and search the Wahroonga Meeting library at http://www.librarything.com/catalog/wahroongafriends
Send news of f/Friends and newsletter items to quiver...@yahoo.com.au Agenda items for Business Meeting should be emailed at wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info or handed to a co-clerk. Visit us at "Our Home" First days (Sunday), 9.30 am Meeting for Worship - Wahroonga Friends Meeting, your local peace church. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) 59 Boundary Road Wahroonga NSW 2076 Email:wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info Web: Wahroonga Local Meeting | Australia Yearly Meeting A Zoom meeting occurs 9.30 am Sundays Meeting link Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting 918 558 7747 Passcode: 554662 Phone: 02 8015 6011 Please contact Paul Carter if you have any problems connecting 0433 886 093
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