Two books published in 1990 by local Quaker Historian Joan Allen can be downloaded from this page by clicking on the headings- Our George and The Quakers of Hartshill
Printable local Quaker history walk leaflets can be downloaded by clicking on the headings- Hartshill and Fenny Drayton
Visit www.1624country.org.uk for links to further local history information.
George Fox was born in 1624 at nearby Fenny Drayton in Leicestershire. His father Christopher, who was known as ‘Righteous Christer’, was a Churchwarden at Fenny Drayton Parish Church, and was a weaver by trade. Fox’s mother Mary was of the local Lago family. Fox’s parents were pious minded and devout in their religious practice; they were of the puritan persuasion.
Fox was apprenticed to a local shoemaker and grazier, George Gee, at the nearby village of Mancetter. Throughout his boyhood Fox was regarded as a quiet and studious child. He became well-known for his diligence among the wool traders who had dealings with his master. A constant obsession for Fox was the pursuit of "simplicity" in life, meaning humility and the abandonment of luxury, and the short time he spent as a shepherd around the hills of Hartshill Hayes was important to the formation of this view.
As a young man, and against the background of a local puritan heritage, he continued to meet local religious leaders and teachers in his search for a new religious truth which was free from hypocrisy. In his Journal was in 1643, at the age of 19 years, when he visited Mancetter in search of some inward satisfaction after deep religious exercises. This was a visit to the priest of Mancetter, and Fox records `after conversing with him for some time, he recommended to me to take tobacco and sing Psalms'. He adds, 'tobacco was a thing I did not love, and Psalms I was not in a state to sing, I could not sing',
In the year 1657, mention is made of Friends from Hartshill, who apparently were members of Ardsley Meeting, the 'home' Meeting of George Fox. It is recorded, `in this year 1657 two friends, Edward Teddes and Philip Rose, went from Hartshill on the 30th day of the fourth month, whose intention was to go to New England on the Service of Truth, but what became of them was not known, but in all likelihood they were cast away'. (Probably these two would-be missionaries were shipwrecked, never being mentioned afterwards.)
In the winter of 1667, George Fox had many blessed Meetings in Warwickshire and Leicestershire, and he writes that in this year ‘the order of the Gospel was set up in these two counties and that Men's Monthly Meetings were established. There can be no doubt that the Meeting at Hartshill was brought about through the influence of the teachings of Fox who would probably visit the village in his ministrations.
In 1677 Fox was in Warwickshire and held a Meeting at Henry Sidon's home at Baddesley. It was a large and peaceable in spite of the threats of a Justice, who declared he would have it broken up. The following day Fox was at Hartshill, at the home of Nathaniel Newton, where several Friends met him, with whom he had a good service. This Nathaniel Newton who lived at the Grange (pictured) was a man of property, and in an early Minute Book there are some requests from Monthly Meeting that he should lend money, to Friends who were in need, the Meeting, however, recorded its opinion that 'the said Friends should pay interest for the same'. It was in 1704 that a Friends Meeting was established in Hartshill. Part of a barn next to the Grange was given by Nathaniel Newton to be used as a meeting place and served as a village school (see image at the top of the page).
It was in 1720 that the first purpose built Meeting House was built and are told that some years later this was burnt down. A second Meeting House was built in 1740, 50 years after Fox died, the money for its erection being collected in this and neighbouring Quarterly Meetings. It is understood that Hartshill and Baddesley was at one time a joint Preparative Meeting.
The school and school house were founded pursuant to the will of Nathaniel Newton, the son of the Nathaniel Newton of the days of George Fox. In his will, dated 1730, he bequeathed a tenement, together with a piece of land from the produce of which the school was to be founded and a school master appointed. The will quotes `a discreet and grave person and one of good life and
conversation, who shall by the said trustees be adjudged and thought fit for the purpose to be a school master, to teach children to read the English tongue and to write and cast accounts'.
The number of children at first was 26 and they were to be residents of Hartshill. The school master afterwards was permitted to take boarders and it is understood that the school rose to some eminence under the care of a Friend named Joseph Crosfield who was the first appointed school master. Students of Joseph Crosfield included members of the Cash family of Coventry and the founder of Cadbury Chocolate, John Cadbury. Later, school masters named Hugh Perkins and August Marshall served the School.
A report dated 1754 stated, 'there are two boarding school in the two Meetings, one at Hartshill
for teaching English, writing and accounts, and another at Coventry teaching Latin, writing and accounts'. There is still a Trust Fund in the name of Nathaniel Newton at Hartshill and monies are used for local educational and charitable purposes. The school house and school premises eventually came into the hands of the Charity Commissioners, probably about 1896. Friends rented the property for a number of years for religious work, then finally purchased in 1926.
Records reveal that Hartshill Quaker Meeting, like many other country Meetings in Warwickshire, declined in numbers, so much so, that its weak state often called for the care of Monthly Meeting, until the Meeting was discontinued in the year 1838. The meeting house on Hartshill Green was closed for a period of about 30 years. In 1868 a Friend from Leicester, named Edward Brewin, in conjunction with a number of Birmingham Friends, felt desirous of holding a meeting for worship in the meeting house. These Friends made efforts to clear away weeds and overgrown briars etc.. to make an entry into the meeting house, which was found to be in need of repair and cleaning. When this was completed, `a comfortable and profitable Meeting was held, with many inhabitants of the village in attendance’. Several other meetings were held at various intervals by the approval of Monthly Meeting, chiefly under the care of Birmingham Friends. In 1869 the Meeting House was opened again for regular worship twice on First Day (Sunday).
Britain Yearly Meeting had a vision in 1881 to extend their city work to include the revival and support of small country groups and around 1906 Hartshill was supplied with full-time mission workers. By 1913 there was a strong women’s combined meeting with the motto “By love serve one another” and men’s football team called “Hartshill Friends” with the motto “play the game”. There was also the development of Sunday School classes for many local adults and children, the adult school had 35 registered members in 1908 and children’s Sunday school met at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. There were choirs, days out and events such as anniversary services. The mission continued until 1926 when Hartshill Friends took on fuller responsibility for the work of the meetings but the legacy of evening programmed meetings including hymns, prayers and speakers continued every Sunday until 2020.
In the 1960s owing to the dilapidated state of the meeting house, school and school house, Warwickshire Monthly Meeting were approached and asked to institute an appeal for a new Quaker Centre at Hartshill. Monthly Meeting agreed to this and also said that then this was completed Hartshill should run its own affairs and not have oversight from a Hartshill Committee at Birmingham.
In 1972 the new Quaker Centre at Hartshill was opened on the site of the old school and school house, which were then demolished. The old meeting house, which was situated on Hartshill Green
(about quarter of a mile from the present Meeting House) was sold and has been converted into a dwelling house. In 2011 the meeting began an appeal to renew the meeting house again with updated facilities and continues to provide a home to our Quaker community from Hartshill, North Warwickshire and beyond.