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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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George Fox
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(1624–91) Founder of the Society of Friends, widely known as the *Quakers. Born in Leicestershire, he wandered the countryside from the age of 19, seeking God and interrupting preachers whom he considered to be in error. He was frequently imprisoned for trouble-making or for blasphemy, but his own preaching – together with his courage, honesty and simplicity – soon made converts to his view of religion, that each man should listen to God within himself. One of his earliest followers was Margaret Fell, whom he later married, and it was around her house (Swarthmore Hall in Lancashire) that in the 1650s an organization began to develop which became the Society of Friends. Fox continued to travel and preach for the rest of his life, not only in Britain but in Europe and even North America.
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