Elizabeth Hooton : $b First Quaker woman preacher (1600-1672)Manners, Emily
History
Elizabeth Hooton : $b First Quaker woman preacher (1600-1672)
Manners, Emily
Hooton, Elizabeth, approximately 1600-1672; Quakers -- Biography
Many meetings were also held, some amongst Friends only, and others with
the passengers who “seemed to be very attentive.”
At length, after nearly two months, this voyage—not lacking in interest
and incident—ended, and the _Industry_ anchored in Carlisle Bay,
Barbados, about nine o’clock at night on the 3rd October.
During his stay, George Fox addressed a letter to the Governor of
Barbados, defending the Quakers against gross slanders which had been
promulgated against them. We have also two letters from Elizabeth
Hooton. Whether both were written at this period is uncertain. One is
addressed “To the Rulers and Magestrats of this Island that ought to Rule
for god.” After general exhortations and warnings, she continues:[141]
J haue seene many ouerturnes, and the Lord will ouerturne
Still. Therefore haue a Care in the feare of the Lord that
hee may giue a blessing vnto you.... And soe Consider what is
required for in this Jsland. There is Great need of Justice
and Judgment, for if one goe vp into the Countrey, there is A
great Cry of the Poore being Robbed by Rich mens Negroes, Soe
that they cannot with out great Troble, keep any thing from
being Stolen; And if they doe complaine they Cannot get any
Sattisfaction; Now it is the Duty of Euery man to take Care and
see there family haue Suffitient food and any thing else the
stand in need off; as Jnstructed in that that is good, that
they may bee Kept from Stealeing and doeing any thing that is
Euill; Soe that yoᵘ may make good Lawes and yoʳ People be Kept
in good order, according to what is made knowne to them by them
that Rule ouer them. And soe yoᵘ Come ... to a true Reformation
yoʳ Selues, first reforming yoʳ Selues in yoʳ familyes, and
yoᵘ will see Clearly how to Rule others, for a Reformation god
looks for Among yoᵘ and all People, that god may bless yoᵘ....
Therefore to the Light of Christ returne; that yoᵘ may see what
yoᵘ should doe and what yoᵘ should not doe and that all yoʳ
ac̄c̄ons may be guided by itt, for hee hath Jnlightened Euery
one that Comes in to the World. J am a louer of yoʳ Soules and
am Come to Warne yoᵘ
ELIZA: HOOTON.
The second letter[142] is probably the last she wrote, and was evidently
prompted by the same reasons which had influenced George Fox in
addressing the Rulers of the Island. It is endorsed: “E. Hooton to some
Ruler in Barbado’s 7ᵗʰ of 10/mo 1671 To warne him not to give eare to
false reports & yᵉ Priests suggestions agᵗ yᵉ innocent.”
ffrend.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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