From The First Publishers of Truth
Sedbergh
In ye begining of ye yeare 1652, he [George Fox] Came into ye north west part of Yorkshire, into ye dalls & hilly Country there, & perticularly to the house of Richard Robinson, at Brigflats, neare ye Towne of Sedbergh in Yorkshire, near ye borders of Westmrland, upon ye seventh day of ye weeke, in ye later End of ye third Month, or begining of ye fourth, being the day Called whitsoneve.1 And the sd Richard Robinson received him & his Testemony in great Love, wt whome G: ff: lodged that night. And the morrow, being ye first day of ye weeke, he & the sd R.R. went to a Meeting of A religeous people seperated from the Common Nationell Worshippe, at the house of Gervise Benson, at Borrat, neare Sedberge aforesd, who some time before had bene Comissary in ye Archdeconry of Richmond in ye diesses of Chester,but those Courts being laid aside in ye late domistick warrs, in wch time he became a Soldier, & was Advanced to ye place of a Collonell, so then bore the name of Collonell Benson, & was allso then Justice of peace in the County of Westmrland, & some time before had bene Maior of the Towne of Kendall. At whose house there was a great Meeting from sevrall Adjacent places, both of York shire and Westmrland, in wch Meeting G: ff did Powrfully preach ye Gospell of ye Kingdome, wch had an Enterance into, & reception by many harts there. And the sd Gervice Benson & Wife were Convinced, & gladly received him into their house, And the sd Richard Robinson, & Major Busfield, Tho: Blaikling & wife, their Son, John Blaikling, & wife, all of Drawell, near Sedbergh, Joseph Bains, of Stangerthewaite in Westmrland, & many others, who sevrall of them afterwards received him Joyfully into their houses, & beleived in ye Truth by him preached, & became obedient to the same, and lived & died faithfull witnesses & faithfull testemony bearers therto, who are all now dead, except Joseph Bains.
Upon ye 4th day of ye same weeke, being a ffaire at ye Towne of Sedbergh, Comonly Called Whitsonwedonsday, where the sd G: ff powrfully declared Truth in the Steeplehouse yarde, and alltho some opposed him, yet many received his Testemony, & were convnced & turned to the way of Truth. Affter wch, G: ff: went to ye house of Tho: Blaikling & John Blaikling, his son, at Drawell aforesd, who gladly & in great Love received him ... [pages 242–3]
Submission by Westmorland (?)Quarterly Meeting edited by Norman Penney in
“The First Publishers of Truth”
(London: Headley Brothers, 1907). Presented to Yearly Meeting in 1709.
Said to be in the hand of Thomas Camm.
1. In 1652 Old Style, Whit Sunday was on 6 June. The day
before was 5 June. Whit Wednesday, and the date of the hiring fair, would have been 9 June. The meeting at
Firbank Fell would have been on Trinity Sunday, 13 June.
New Style, Whit Sunday was 19 May, the day before 18 May, and the following Wednesday 22 May.
Firbank Fell would have been 26 May. Thomas Camm's description, ‘in ye later End of ye third Month [May],
or begining of ye fourth’ would fit either, with a slight bias towards Old Style.
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