From Thomas Camm’s account in The First Publishers of Truth [pages 244-245]

And it having then bene a Common practise amongst ye said seekeing and religously Jnclined people to Rase a Genrall Meeting at Preston Patrick Chapell once a month, upon the ffourth day of the weeke, to which resorted the most zeallous & religious people in sevrall places Adjacent, as from Sedbergh side in ye County of Yorke, Yelland & Kellet in the County of Lancaster, Kendall, Grayridge, Undrbarrow, Hutton, & in & about the said Preston Patricke, where ye sd ff: H:,¹ J: A:, ² and sevrall others did vsuially preach to the Congregation there mett; and the said Meeting being theire Appointed that same day, thither G: ff: went, being Accompanyed wth J: A: & J:C.³ J:A: would have had G: ff: to have gone into ye place or pew Where vsuially he & the preachr did sitt, but he refuised, & toke A back Seat neare the doore, & J. C: satt downe by him, where he satt sillent waiteing upon God about halfe an hour, in which time of silence ff H seemed uneasey, and pulled out his bible, & opened it, & stod up severall times, sitting downe againe and Closeing his Booke, A dread & ffeare being upon him yt he durst not begin to preach. After the said silence and waiteing, G: ff stood up in the mighty power of god, & in ye demonstration therof was his mouth opened to preach Christ Jesus, the Light of life, & the way to God, & Saviour of all that beleive & obay him, which was delivred in that power and Authority that most of the Auditory, which were sevrall hundereds, were Effectually reached to the heart, & Convinced of the truth that very day, for it was the day of Gods powr.

A nottable day Jndeede never to be forgotten by me, Thomas Camm, who, wth some othr brethren, by ye Quarterly Meeting is Appointed to Colecte the matters herein mentioned, J being then present at that meeting, A schoole boy but aboute 12 years of age, yet, J bless the Lord for his mercy, then religiously inclined, do still remember that blessed & gloryouse day, in which my soull, by that liveing Testemony then borne in the demonstration of Gods power, was effectually opened, reached, & Convinced, wth many more, who are sealls of that powrfull Ministery that Attended this ffaithfull servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, & by which we were Convinced, & turned from darknesse to light & from Satans powr to the power of God.

After which Meeting at Preston Chapell, G: ff Came to the house of John Camm, at Camsgill. Next day Travelled to Kendall, where he had a Meeting in the mount Hall or sessions house, where many were Convinced & Received his testemony with Joy.

‘The First Publishers of Truth’: being early records, now first printed, of the introduction of Quakerism into the counties of England and Wales edited Norman Penney (Friends Historical Society Journal Supplements 1-5; London: Headley; New York: Taber, 1907)

Return to John Camm Biography.

1.    Francis Howgil.

2.    John Audland.

3.    John Camm.