Untitled Document

When the family gathered in 1980 we were privileged to be able to meet at Frenchay Meeting House. The welcome of local Friends contributed to the success of that day and we are most fortunate to be able to return there in 2005. It is a Meeting with many links to our family history and, sitting in the meeting room, it is not difficult to feel oneself transported back through the generations, to when family members and a good number of related families worshiped here.

When questioned as to how and when the first contact with the Society occurred, the members of the Frenchay Meeting replied as follows: “John Audland and John Camm were the first Publique Friends that came amongst us, about the year 1654, and they had their first Meeting at Fellton, in an open Field, where they were invited by William Blackway, preist of the Parrish, as well as many others. They had theire next Meeting att Elberton. At both these Meetings may were convinced, and in a very short time after, a Meeting was settled att Olveston. Soon after, they had a Meeting in the Orchard of Robert Colles, at Winterburn, where was allso a great convincement; and some time after they settled a Meeting in that Parrish allso. They were received att Elberton by Robert Smith, att Olveston by Walter Clements, and at Winterbourne by Robert Colle.”

The very first Quaker meetings were held in the homes of members of that Society. It was thought that the earliest Frenchay meetings took place at Hezekiah Coale’s home in Winterbourne. That man is of particular interest to us, as it was from one of that name that the Sturge’s first took up the lease of Gaunts Earthcott.

From 1654 the Meeting recorded births, deaths and marriages and the name of a John Sturgis is earliest birth recorded. Another member of the meeting, Anthony Sturgis, emigrated to America with his wife and three children, buying land there from William Penn in 1682.

The first Meeting House at Frenchay was completed in 1673 and our direct ancestor Joseph Sturge II married Barbara Williams here in the following year. At this time all were required to attend their parish church on a Sunday. Failure to do so led to the imprisonment of local members and the refusal to take an oath resulted in more members of the Frenchay Meeting, including Hezekiah Coale, being incarcerated in Gloucester jail. This was not their only tribulation. In 1677 the Meeting for Worship was broken up on the orders of a magistrate, members assaulted, the Meeting House benches cut up and every window broken.

The present Meeting House was built in 1809, with alterations to provide the upper room (where we shall hold our display of heirlooms) completed in 1814. For those who seek a short history of the Meeting, the booklet “The Friends Meeting House, Frenchay” by Dorothy Vinter (1963) provides a good account.

Family members attending in 2005 will be able to have a guided tour led by Roger Angerson, a member of the Meeting, who also gave of his time to support our pilgrimage in 1980. Our ancestors would have little difficulty in recognising the building where they worshipped, nor will those of us who visited more than twenty years ago. They may recall the meeting room in the accompanying photograph [pictures reproduced by permission of the National Buildings Record] and be pleased to learn that, but for the absence of the glorious stove, the very special ambience of that room remains unchanged.

	FRENCHAY MEETING HOUSE	Feb 04
	When the family gathered in 1980 we were privileged to be able to meet at Frenchay Meeting House. The welcome of local Friends contributed to the success of that day and we are most fortunate to be able to return there in 2005. It is a Meeting with many links to our family history and, sitting in the meeting room, it is not difficult to feel oneself transported back through the generations, to when family members and a good number of related families worshiped here. When questioned as to how and when the first contact with the Society occurred, the members of the Frenchay Meeting replied as follows: “John Audland and John Camm were the first Publique Friends that came amongst us, about the year 1654, and they had their first Meeting at Fellton, in an open Field, where they were invited by William Blackway, preist of the Parrish, as well as many others. They had theire next Meeting att Elberton. At both these Meetings may were convinced, and in a very short time after, a Meeting was settled att Olveston. Soon after, they had a Meeting in the Orchard of Robert Colles, at Winterburn, where was allso a great convincement; and some time after they settled a Meeting in that Parrish allso. They were received att Elberton by Robert Smith, att Olveston by Walter Clements, and at Winterbourne by Robert Colle.” The very first Quaker meetings were held in the homes of members of that Society. It was thought that the earliest Frenchay meetings took place at Hezekiah Coale’s home in Winterbourne. That man is of particular interest to us, as it was from one of that name that the Sturge’s first took up the lease of Gaunts Earthcott. From 1654 the Meeting recorded births, deaths and marriages and the name of a John Sturgis is earliest birth recorded. Another member of the meeting, Anthony Sturgis, emigrated to America with his wife and three children, buying land there from William Penn in 1682. The first Meeting House at Frenchay was completed in 1673 and our direct ancestor Joseph Sturge II married Barbara Williams here in the following year. At this time all were required to attend their parish church on a Sunday. Failure to do so led to the imprisonment of local members and the refusal to take an oath resulted in more members of the Frenchay Meeting, including Hezekiah Coale, being incarcerated in Gloucester jail. This was not their only tribulation. In 1677 the Meeting for Worship was broken up on the orders of a magistrate, members assaulted, the Meeting House benches cut up and every window broken. The present Meeting House was built in 1809, with alterations to provide the upper room (where we shall hold our display of heirlooms) completed in 1814. For those who seek a short history of the Meeting, the booklet “The Friends Meeting House, Frenchay” by Dorothy Vinter (1963) provides a good account. Family members attending in 2005 will be able to have a guided tour led by Roger Angerson, a member of the Meeting, who also gave of his time to support our pilgrimage in 1980. Our ancestors would have little difficulty in recognising the building where they worshipped, nor will those of us who visited more than twenty years ago. They may recall the meeting room in the accompanying photograph [pictures reproduced by permission of the National Buildings Record] and be pleased to learn that, but for the absence of the glorious stove, the very special ambience of that room remains unchanged.