The First ever Quaker Meeting

Cumbria is the birthplace of Quakers, the Religious Society of Friends.

Pardshaw and Pardshaw Hall, near Cockermouth, were strongholds of Quakerism from its early days. While the churches in most parishes, including Dean, had to meet the challenge of Methodism and Baptists, the Rector of Dean had even earlier to contend with what was virtually a Quaker enclave within the Parish. George Fox preached on Pardshaw Crag in 1650 drawing huge crowds.

A meeting of Friends, the first to be settled in Cumberland, began in a private house in 1653. As this meeting grew in numbers, it could not be contained indoors and met for many years in the open air on Pardshaw Crag. In time the meetings during the winter were divided amongst Friends' houses in Lamplugh, Pardshaw, Whinfell and Eaglesfield. Eventually, in 1672, a meeting house was built at Pardshaw and this was enlarged in 1705. For about a century this was the largest country meeting in England. No traces of this building now remain.

More at http://www.visitcumbria.com/quakers.htm