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Margaret Fell
Margaret Fell (1614–1702) was an English preacher and a foundational figure in the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, earning her the title "Mother of Quakerism." Born Margaret Askew in 1614 at Marsh Grange, Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire, she was the daughter of John Askew, a wealthy landowner, and Margaret Pyper. In 1632, at age 17, she married Thomas Fell, a barrister and later a judge and Member of Parliament, becoming mistress of Swarthmoor Hall and bearing nine children, eight of whom survived to adulthood. Her life changed dramatically in 1652 when she encountered George Fox, a charismatic preacher, at her local church in Ulverston. His message of the "Inner Light" and spiritual equality deeply moved her, leading to her convincement and the transformation of Swarthmoor Hall into a hub for the early Quaker movement. Fell’s preaching career was marked by her tireless advocacy for Quaker beliefs, including her defense of women’s ministry, most notably in her 1666 pamphlet Women’s Speaking Justified, which argued scripturally for women’s right to preach. She preached across England, often facing persecution, and was imprisoned multiple times: first in 1664–1668 at Lancaster Castle for hosting Quaker meetings and refusing to take an oath, and again in 1670–1671 for violating the Conventicle Act. After Thomas’s death in 1658, she married George Fox in 1669, solidifying her leadership role. She authored over 16 works, including letters and tracts, and established the Kendal Fund to support imprisoned Quakers. Fell died on April 23, 1702, and was buried in an unmarked grave at Sunbrick Quaker burial ground, leaving a legacy as a preacher who shaped Quaker theology and organization through her courage and conviction.
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Margaret Fell delivers a powerful message to her beloved brethren and sisters, urging them to stand firm in the power and life of God, emphasizing the unbreakable bond of peace in the everlasting covenant and the inseparable love of Jesus Christ. She prays for God to wash and cleanse them from all sin, enabling fellowship in eternal light and life. Margaret entrusts them to the eternal power of God's Word and His saving grace, ensuring their souls' preservation and union with Him.
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An Epistle to Friends 2
An Epistle To Friends, 1659 My Dearly Beloved Brethren and Sisters, in the everlasting truth, and eternal love, and power of an endless life, into which we were begotten, and have been nursed up, and kept in, as living stones growing up in the temple of the living God; the same power and arm is present with you, and owns you; therefore keep in it, and let your faith stand in the power and life of God in every particular; and in that book of life will you read me near, as if present, in the everlasting covenant and bond of peace, which is never to be broke; and in that love of jesus Christ, which none can separate us from, height nor depth, life nor death. The eternal God keep you, who brought again our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, through the blood of the everlasting covenant; and by His blood wash you, and cleanse you from all sin, and all that would separate from God; that you may have fellowship one with another in the eternal light and life, and there I leave you; and to the Word of His eternal power I commit you, and commend you to His eternal Arm, which is able to save your souls, and keep you up to Himself. M.F.
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Margaret Fell (1614–1702) was an English preacher and a foundational figure in the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, earning her the title "Mother of Quakerism." Born Margaret Askew in 1614 at Marsh Grange, Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire, she was the daughter of John Askew, a wealthy landowner, and Margaret Pyper. In 1632, at age 17, she married Thomas Fell, a barrister and later a judge and Member of Parliament, becoming mistress of Swarthmoor Hall and bearing nine children, eight of whom survived to adulthood. Her life changed dramatically in 1652 when she encountered George Fox, a charismatic preacher, at her local church in Ulverston. His message of the "Inner Light" and spiritual equality deeply moved her, leading to her convincement and the transformation of Swarthmoor Hall into a hub for the early Quaker movement. Fell’s preaching career was marked by her tireless advocacy for Quaker beliefs, including her defense of women’s ministry, most notably in her 1666 pamphlet Women’s Speaking Justified, which argued scripturally for women’s right to preach. She preached across England, often facing persecution, and was imprisoned multiple times: first in 1664–1668 at Lancaster Castle for hosting Quaker meetings and refusing to take an oath, and again in 1670–1671 for violating the Conventicle Act. After Thomas’s death in 1658, she married George Fox in 1669, solidifying her leadership role. She authored over 16 works, including letters and tracts, and established the Kendal Fund to support imprisoned Quakers. Fell died on April 23, 1702, and was buried in an unmarked grave at Sunbrick Quaker burial ground, leaving a legacy as a preacher who shaped Quaker theology and organization through her courage and conviction.