George Fox shortlisted for green plaque
Two Quakers nominate George Fox for Leicestershire City Council's award.
George Fox has been nominated for a green plaque award run by a local council. John Catt of Loughborough and John Spencer of Gravesend, Kent, independently put forward the Quaker founder’s name to be awarded one of six green plaques from Leicestershire City Council.
John Spencer, from Rochester Meeting, told the Friend that he nominated George Fox as ‘my father and his family come from the adjacent village to Fenny Drayton, so I have always felt an affinity with [him]. The local Fenny Drayton church, which George Fox attended, offered to host the plaque and as part of this initiative I will offer to renew the display about George Fox in the church’.
The summary of George Fox notes that Quakers were among the first to oppose slavery and that George Fox’s ideas ‘influenced William Penn and Tom Paine who inspired much of the thinking relating to the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the USA. They also influenced Voltaire and in turn the idea of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity used in the French Revolution’. It also says he ‘experienced great social upheaval and the Civil War’ and ‘his interpretation of the Christian faith incorporated the belief that there was “something of God” in every person and hence all were equal’.
Voters have until 24 October to choose which person from the shortlist of twelve they would like to see commemorated. Other nominees include Samuel Swinfen Burdett; Frances Elizabeth Deacon; Theodora Salusbury; and Louis Zborowski. The website for voting is www.leicestershire.gov.uk/greenplaques. There is no need to live in Leicestershire to take part.
