“Had meetings in Isle of Wight …a glorious meeting at Newport”
The birth of the Quaker Movement has its roots in 1652 with George Fox in the North of England. Before long, early Friends were travelling the length and breadth of the country, spreading the word, and facing much persecution for doing so.
By the time Katherine Evans reached the Isle of Wight in 1657, she had already ‘travelled in ministry’ throughout much of England, Scotland as well as Ireland. She was forcibly banished from the Isle of Wight.... “For being and speaking at a Meeting in the Isle of Wight, she was kept prisoner with another Friend several nights, and sent out of the Island. There was a soldier came to her bedside holding a naked sword and took her by the arms and hauled her out of bed, at the tenth hour of the night and carried her on ship board to send her away.”
Restrictions had eased by the end of the 1600s when James Dickinson of the ‘Valliant Sixty’ was on his way to the Americas, and recorded in his journal “Had meetings in Isle of Wight …a glorious meeting at Newport”
"She was a very practical woman"
By 1691 there were groups of Quakers meeting in Newport, Brading, Godshill, Freshwater and West Cowes, and a Quaker burial ground had been established on the south side of Pyle Street in Newport - on what was then known as Quakers Lane.
The well known Quaker philanthropist and social reformer Elizabeth Fry came to the island several times in the early 1800s, where she visited the prisons. She was a very practical woman and no doubt brought with her the very useful and acceptable gift of her well known sewing kits. As Elizabeth Fry was a Recorded Minister and tended to minister regularly at the Meetings in the places she travelled to, more than likely the opportunity was taken to meet and worship with any Friends then on the Island.
The Rope Store at the Quay Arts Centre
Over the last 350 years, Quakers have met in many different places on the island - Patrick Nott's History of IOW Quakers records 29 different locations. By the end of the 20th century, Friends were facing the difficulties associated with maintaining an old building, in what was then the Meeting House on Crocker Street. It was proving to be a struggle, both financially as well as in providing the human resources for committees, working parties and the like.
So, the refurbishment of the Quay Arts Centre in the old bonded warehouse in Little London by the harbour in Newport came as a godsend. The need of funds to complete the restoration of the dilapidated building next door, used in the past as a rope store, provided the prospect for a partnership beneficial to both organisations.
The chance of a ‘time share’ of part of the building was welcomed by almost all for it provided a realistic and practical means of keeping the Meeting in the centre of the Island, close to public transport and parking facilities. The modern minimalist decoration, not having to provide cleaning or maintenance, the attractive view over the river were thought to be positive. So too was the chance to have a meeting room that could be used for other purposes, space for a library and kitchenette and the ability to use other parts of the building when the need arose for children or larger gatherings such as Monthly Meeting.
"Being gathered on a Sunday morning"
In Isle of Wight terms it was like ‘moving to the centre of the universe’. Many months of discussion with the architect and the Foundation officers and trustees followed to produce not only an unusual working license between the Foundation and Friends, but a specifically designed simple room and other facilities with more than adequate storage, furniture and fittings.
And there's the view; Newport is perhaps the only Meeting House to boast opening onto a tidal river estuary on one side and on the other windows that allow passers by to observe the meeting at worship, without causing any disturbance. The noise of birds feeding, or being fed on the far bank, at low tide and the splash from the odd rower at high somehow add to the sense of ‘being gathered’ on a Sunday morning.
If you would like to learn more about the history of Quakers on the island, simply click on the button below for the very comprehensive 2011 publication.