Merion Meeting

THE TERCENTENARY MEETING.53 ancient imprints of the writings of Fox, from the William H. Jenks Collection in the college Library ; and also the seal of George Fox, kindly exhibited by its present owner, George Vaux, Jr. (See notice below concerning this seal.) The great day of the feast was really the night session. Lucy B. Roberts, President of Friends' Historical Association, presided . Rufus M. Jones delivered his address, prepared for the occasion, on " The Life and Message of George Fox." ( See notice below, under Book Reviews.) This interpretation of the life of the Founder was a great climax of a great day. The final words of the speaker will remain long with the hearers : " His [George Fox's] impact on the world has been what he would have wished it to be, slow and gradual, the gentle influence of spiritual forces. He has convinced many and he still convinces some that ' the ocean of Light and Love flows over the ocean of darkness,' and that in spite of all the forces of evil ' the seed of God reigns.' He was, indeed, ' a heavenly-minded man,' and after his long, hard, honest fight for truth and goodness, he had some right to speak those last dying words of his : ? am clear, I am fully clear.' " MERION MEETING. A paper by Charles E. Hires, read at the Fox Tercentenary Meeting, at Merion Meeting House, Fifth month 17, 1924. Friends, members of the Friends' Historical Association, and others : it seems fitting on this three hundredth anniversary of the birth of George Fox, which we are now celebrating, that we should come to this Old Merion Meeting House, founded about two hundred and forty-two years ago. In meeting you today we wish you a hearty welcome and shall attempt in a brief way to review a bit of the history of the founders and establishment of this old meeting. The birth of George Fox brought into life a new factor, a new human element, in the psychology of religious life, that was destined to astound the religious thought of the world. The proclaiming of the thought that God speaks directly to every human 54 BULLETIN OF FRIENDS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. soul put the responsibility upon each one to recognize a divine sense of his obligation to our Heavenly Father to live a pure and correct life for the upbuilding of his kingdom here on earth with the children of men. Some Welsh Friends that came here had been convinced of the truth of the Gospel, as preached by George Fox and others of the early Friends, and wishing to go where they could have freedom of thought and religious liberty, they came here on the 13th day of the 8th month, 1682, on the good ship Lyon; some seventeen families. This land had been purchased by some of this little band,—Dr. John ap Thomas and Edward Jones. Edward Jones took possession of his share of the purchase, and some of his descendants still hold title of the original grants. This has been claimed the first British settlement, but Dr. Smith Heston says that Robert Wade and his family from England settled at Upland (Chester), in 1676, and were the first members of the Society of Friends that located permanently within the limits of the Commonwealth. However this may be, it is certain that the first place of worship was established here. Edward Jones built his first Welsh home here in Merion. These Friends were founders of Merion Meeting, and at first it is said they worshipped in the homes of members. It is said a log house was built first, then this house was built in 1695, the northern end first, and front or southern addition later. From Merionethshire in North Wales these early settlers came, breaking all their home ties in the old world to begin life anew, taking the name of Merion from Merionethshire, named after a Prince who lived and ruled there a thousand years ago. There is but little time to recount incidents that surround and contribute to the interesting history of these people and this place, so I shall confine my remarks to a few of the...