Dodgy Quaker Types Through The Ages. (Part One I think of an occasional series....)

"WHAT’S THE USE OF PARSONS. – The Quakers have no hired preachers to explain mysteries, seize the tenth of their industry, and vex and harass them to death with everlasting law suits; and who besides, in return for being supported by the people take against them on all occasions. And yet, notwithstanding this lamentable deficiency, the Quakers are a sensible, cheerful, and prosperous people. God does not strike them dead, or smite them blind because they have no state parsons. On the contrary, they thrive under it. Then why can’t we do the same? Why can’t we christen, and marry, and bury by the help of general register officers and a magistrate’s certificate? The Americans have no bishops or state parsons of any kind, no tithes, glebes, or sacred church property, and yet wonderful to relate, even they thrive under such a wicked system. They have no bloody religious wars-no everlasting law-suits about tithes-no domineering insolent parson magistrates-no political time-serving to get fat livings by; and they also, are a moral, happy and prosperous people. And then, on account of there being no state religion in America, all the different sects live in harmony; there are no Rathcormac massacres committed for the sake of a few pounds of tithes; remember that, you priest-ridden Johnny Bull? Can’t you be bessttled with superstition without paying priests for laughing at you for believing their marvellous [unclear word] stories?"

From a Correspondent of the Brighton Patriot. Poor Man’s Guardian Saturday, December 26, 1835; Issue 238



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Historiography through the ages…. (Part one of an occasional series, the Venomous Bede)

Just for fun…. I was trying to do some seminar preparation on the historiography of the Venomous Bede. Found myself compiling a few dates in order to try and keep perspective. Think I lost it anyway. Anyway here goes…..



1 Beginning of the CE.

410 Legions leave Britain. Start of Dark Ages and Modern History.

500 Battle of Badon Hill. Anglo Saxon conquest held up a bit.

597 Augustine consecrated First Archbishop of Canterbury

616 End of the (British and Christian) Kingdom of Elmet in the North.

627 First Archbishop of York

635 Aiden established on Lindisfarne

655 Death of King Penda of Mercia “last great Pagan warrior King”

664 Synod of Whitby. Church of England goes Roman.

669 Theodore the Bubble Archbishop of Canterbury, conversion still touch and go.

672 Venomous Bede Born

731 Bede’s History of the English Church published.

735 Bede goes to the Heavenly Kingdom.

793 Lindisfarne Ramraid. Viking lager louts arrive….

795 Offa’s Dyke defines Wales

867 King Alle of Northumbria gets the Blood Eagle (eek!)

869 King Edmund of East Anglia gets Blood Eagle (still eek)

871 Alfred becomes King of Wessex. Saves Anglo-Saxon civilisation.

878 Emergency Borough of Althelney

886 Danelaw recognised by Wessex.

954 Eric the Bloodaxe ceases to be King of York, England united.

What I did in my holidays (Part Eight - Pardshaw pre solfest social call)

Now Pardshaw might be a long way from Aspatria but it is at least in the same county so on the way to Solfest I took the opportunity of participating at a Young Friends’ gathering at Pardshaw Young Friends’ Center despite of course not being young. Even if 40 is young for Britain Yearly Meeting. My thanks to the Young Friends for fitting in a somewhat elderly ex Young Friend.

So lets kick off with some random shots of Cumberland



Specifically on a coach into Cockermouth. Cockermouth used to have connection to the railway network. Connection now seems to be via permenant replacement bus. Oh well better than nothing.

This pic though is Pardshaw Crag I think. Did txt the Convenor of the Committee, Friend Anne to say I was on my way, just taking a pic of Pardshaw Crag.



And here we are in Cockermouth itself!



A close up of the pale blue and white house. Dig the colour scheme



Here’s Mayo. Er no. It's the Town Hall which used to be a Chapel funnily enough. Interesting.



Here's Mayo



And here’s Yorkiegirl’s place in the country.



New Labour New Babylon!



Some Knitting Knoras



Dinner is served! After Quaker grace of course….



Majk the master musician



The excitement is too much for some…



Rise up singing!



Had a wonderful evening epilogue when we sang “Lord of All Hopefulness” with an amazing unity plus Laudate Dominum or something. Quite moving. Plus at some point we sang rediscovered Pardshaw song to the tune of “House of the Rising Sun”. Oh how we laughed!

The mob!



Did walk into Cocker on Sunday morning to go to Meeting for Worship at Cockermouth Friends’ Meeting House. Got a nice lift back. There was a Sunday evening Meeting for Worship at Pardshaw, there being one a month. Not so far to walk…..

And where else but Pardshaw! For a celebration of life. In this case Friend Anne opens her cards.



The fruit bowl



Friend Ericka bakes a surprise cake.



Random shot from the burial ground



Friend Ericka again with the cake



Dinner is served!




The birthday girl contemplates the cake.



The cake itself yummy



The dynamic duo jamming



Digicams reproducing by binary fission….



Taking a pic with an identical digi-cam…



Just before the ceilidh. With my best kilt.



Official group photo. Not sure if it made front cover of “Young Quaker”.



Left to Right Back row: Anne, Majk, Kathleen, Tony, Ericka, Jack
Front row: Andrew, Bluebell

Dancing yeah!



Friend Jack looking pensive



A Quaker mural on the ceiling painted by Bluebell and other Friends at a previous workcamp.



Use Cooper’s Dip



The new Pardshaw log book! Golly!



A random shot of Pardshaw Friends’ Meeting House and Young Friend’s Center.



From the other end of the burial ground



My best shot of the Dalton memorial. Taken at night no flash if I remember and pointing my head torch at it so that you can at least see the writing.



I then set off across Cumberland to a gig in Aspatria leaving some lovely Friends at Pardshaw. Hope to see them all again in this lifetime. And Pardshaw is a sort of home from home. “There is an Olde Meeting House Near Cockermouth! They call it Pardshaw Hall, and it’s been the ruin of many a Young Friend…..”