Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-21
Quaker Meetin9s.
Americans Just Back From International Gatherings
Penn in Yard by insignificant Church.

it has been put in order and caretaker
ma int aimed.
Some say the Quakeys chose this out
of-the-vay corner as the. site OF their
meeting place 10 be free from obserVa-
ton. but those who have read ElwooG'
autobiography know they were far too
| independent and upright 10 co things IN
the dark. and the real reason is undoubi-
eddy because William Russelrs farm
house OF Jordans made a very central
meeting place for the Quakers OF tie
surrounding district
This little farm where the Friends
originally held their services IS still in
existence close beside the present build-
ing and is very similar in appearance
II was al meeting AT this farmhouse
that the witnesses Arts and Lacy swore
that the Quaker Thomas Zachary WAS
present. although really in London at
the time. and even when this aiib was
proved the magistrate. Sir Thomas Clay
ton of the Nache. Chalfont St Giles
who cordially hated the Friends refused
to release the unfortunate man. C.ti-
mately Zachary was asked to take the
oath OF allegiance. and on refusing from
the conscientious motives OF his sect was
sent back to prison. where he vas kept
until a general amnesty was granted
Ellwood prosecuted the two spies. but
Clayton again interfered and allowed
them out on bail. Arts left the country
to escape prosecution. but Lacy threw
himself on Zachary's mercy and begged
forgiveness, so the magnanimous Quaker
promised TO let the matter drop provided
the lnformer behaved well for the future
A portion OF the ground was first pur-
chased from William Russell in 1871 for a
graveyard. and II was not till 1865 that
more land was bought and the present
meeting house erected. AT least some OF
the cost of this was defraVed by money
left by Mary Pennington. the widow OF TIL
stout old Quaker. Isaac Pennington. who
spent no small portion of his life in Ayles-
bury prison. perhaps because he was the
son of the regicide judge and so was sup
posed to possess a double dose of original
sin. The bare. whitewashed walls and
brick-tiled floor remain practically unal-
tered. An unvarnished oak wainscoting
runs round the room. and the bare wooden
benches remain, while al one end is mar
row platform for the elders of the meet
ing. At the back of the room a wooden
partition divides IL from the caretaker's
living agreements. while above is a bed
room With a window facing the platform.
This was used a gallery by the women
folk of the congregation. for the window
could be pushed back. thus throwing this
upper room into a portion of the meeting
house.
At the rear of the building is stabling
for a number of horses. for some of the
congregation had to ride long distances
mounts during service. Some members
walked from Chalfont st. Peter and Chal-
font St. Giles. or even Beaconsfeld, while
others on horseback came from Amer
sham. Hedgerler or Rickmansworth.
All around the ever-murmuring trees
and over all the graves is a thick carpet
of turf. unbroken by a single path. Only
a few have headstones. and these cannot
date from the time OF burial. for the old
QuakerS considered tombstones unneces-
sary. so most of the graves are denoted
merely by a low mound of turf. and the
visitor must refer TO the list hanging in
side the meeting house for the names of
the majority buried here. One of the few
stones bears the name of William Penn.
who is buried in the same grave with his
second WIFE Hannah; while the more IA
nous Gulielma Springett. who won his
heart when he was SO constant a visitor
at the grange at Chalfont ST. Peter. the
home of the Peningtons. rests by his side.
Next 10 her lies her mother. Mary Pening-
ton. and just behind are stones showing
the last resting place of some of PENIS
children, while other graves are those OF
Isaac Pennington. Elwood and his wife and
Joseph Rule. who was known as the
White Quaker. In one corner Of the little
burial ground stands one stone by itself
the inscription showing that the grave
was first occupied within quite modern
times; but II is the only comparatively
modern one among them all.