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History of the Hall
Political & Religious Background:  England in the mid-seventeenth century was in a state of political and constitutional upheaval, as King Charles I struggled to assert his "divine right" to rule against the growing strength of a fledgling parliamentary movement. In 1642, the country erupted into civil war, which ended in 1649 with the execution of the King and the establishment of a parliament under Oliver Cromwell. In the Civil War years, the King’s authority over the church was loosened, so that ordinary people had unusual license to explore alternative religious ideas and practices. A number of freethinking groups were established, for example the Diggers, the Levellers, and the Seekers. Their freedom to experiment and spread their ideas was however, short-lived. By the early 1650’s Oliver Cromwell had found it necessary to take control of the Church once again. This meant that church attendance and the payment of tithes was obligatory, and that fines and jail terms were imposed for illegal religious gatherings and preaching.
The Fells of Swarthmoor:
 George Fell, a lawyer and member of the landed gentry, built Swarthmoor Hall around 1586. The land was acquired around the time of the Percy Rebellion in 1569. George Fell’s son Thomas inherited the house from his father and in about 1634 he brought his new wife Margaret Askew (age 18) to live at the Hall. He thereby became owner of her family home and estate, Marsh Grange, on the other side of the Furness peninsula. Thomas Fell was a supporter of Cromwell in the early years of the war, but could not countenance the King’s execution. Nevertheless, he retained his influential position with Oliver Cromwell, and towards the end of his life, he was made Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, though by then too ill to do anything with it. Until that time, he was often away from home on a judging circuit in Lancaster, or in London as an MP in the Long Parliament. He maintained the reputation and influence that his wife Margaret was to make use of in later years. Judge Fell was well known in the region for his hospitality to travellers — the Hall was open to anyone who was travelling by. Enter George Fox:  George Fox, widely regarded as the founder of the Quaker movement, made a historic journey in 1652, which culminated in his arrival at Swarthmoor Hall in June of that year. His story starts in Fenny Drayton in the Midlands. A very serious-minded young man, he was disillusioned by what he saw as the religious hypocrisy of "so-called professors of the Christian faith", and left home to wander the countryside.
He came to believe that God could speak directly to each person without the
need for priests or churches, and he set out to spread his message. In 1651,
in Derby, he was arrested (not for the first time) and jailed for 12 months
for illegal preaching. On his release he journeyed north and found himself
on Pendle Hill, on the top of which, looking out over Lancashire towards the
Irish Sea, he had a vision of a "great multitude waiting to be gathered."
He found "the great multitude" on Firbank Fell a little later when he met up with the Westmoreland Seekers under the leadership of Francis Howgill and John Audland. It is said that George Fox convinced 1000 people on that occasion, and many regard Firbank Fell as the birthplace of the Quaker Movement. With this success to encourage him, George Fox continued overland through what Quakers now know as "1652 Country" arriving at Swarthmoor Hall on 28 June 1652 to seek an audience with Thomas Fell. He arrived to find neither Thomas nor Margaret at home; however, the Fells' parish priest, William Lampitt from St Mary’s, Ulverston, was there and wanted to get rid of Fox. ‘A great deal of reasoning" later, an angry Lampitt departed and Margaret returned home to be told by the children about the ructions between visitor and priest. Regardless, she offered the hospitality of the house to Fox, heard him preach, and was "perturbed". She is recorded as saying that she had been spiritually seeking for over 20 years. A day or two later, she invited George Fox to Lampitt’s church for a Lecture Day. George preached and convinced Margaret, came back to Swarthmoor Hall and over the next 3 weeks convinced the family, workforce, and a significant proportion of the local inhabitants of Furness.  When
Thomas Fell finally returned home, he was alerted by a group of unhappy
local dignitaries and faced with the mass conversion of his household. With
the help of Richard Farnsworth and James Naylor, two of George Fox’s
travelling companions, Margaret calmed Thomas and he agreed to meet George
Fox. He was prepared to give Fox a hearing but was not converted.
He did allow Swarthmoor Hall to be used as a meeting place for worship by
those very early Friends, and they continued to use the Hall until 1691 when
they moved into the new Meeting House that Fox had bought for them just 400
yards away. Swarthmoor became the "powerhouse of the early Quaker movement"
throughout the 1650’s.
George Fox who married Margaret Fell 11 years after Judge Fell’s death in 1658, returned to Swarthmoor periodically, but spent much time travelling in this country, in America and Europe. He died in London in 1691. Margaret, who effectively dedicated her life to the Religious Society of Friends from the day of her convincement onwards, died at the Hall in 1702. Her grandson, John Abraham sold the Hall out of the family in 1759. For the next 150 years we know little of the Hall’s history. In 1912, it was bought by Emma Clarke Abraham (a descendant of John Abraham) and she began its restoration and renovation. She left the Hall to her nephew, who in 1954 sold it to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). It is still a place of pilgrimage for Quakers from all over the world. Visitors can tour the historic rooms. Important Dates: 1586 Swarthmoor Hall built 1598-9 Birth of Thomas Fell 1614 Birth of Margaret Askew/Fell/Fox 1624 Accession of Charles I 1632 Marriage of Thomas and Margaret 1642 Outbreak of Civil War 1649 Execution of Charles I 1652 (June) Fox at Swarthmoor Hall 1652 Margaret converted by Fox in Ulverston St Mary’s Parish Church 1653 Dissolution of Long Parliament by Cromwell after 13 years. 1658 Death of Cromwell (Sept) 1658 Death of Thomas Fell (Oct) 1660 (May) Restoration of the Monarchy–Charles II 1660 Arrest of Fox at Swarthmoor 1660 (June) Margaret’s first visit to London 1660 Margaret’s Peace Testimony 1661 (Jan) Nationwide persecution of Quakers 1661 Fox and Hubberthorne’s Peace Testimony issued 1664 Margaret imprisoned in Lancaster 1665 The Great Plague 1666 The Great Fire of London 1667 William Penn joins the Quakers 1668 Margaret free from imprisonment 1669 Fox and Fell married in Bristol 1670 Margaret’s second Lancaster imprisonment 1671 (April) Her release 1671 (Aug) Fox to America till June 1673 1673 Fox held at Worcester 1676 Swarthmoor estate valued at £450 1678 (Sept) Fox’s last visit to Swarthmoor Hall – stays until March 1680 1682 Margaret’s seventh visit to London 1681 Creation of Pennsylvania 1685 Death of Charles II 1686 James II General Pardon and Royal Warrant frees imprisoned Friends 1689 William and Mary on the throne – Toleration Act gives limited religious freedom 1691 (Jan) Death of George Fox in London 1702 (March) Death of William of Orange 1702 (April) Death of Margaret Fell at Swarthmoor in her 88th year 1759 Swarthmoor Hall and remaining 100 acres sold by John Abraham, Margaret’s grandson.
Swarthmoor Hall,
Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0JQ Phone: +44 (0)1229 583204 E-mail: info@swarthmoorhall.co.uk
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