New plaque for George Fox
'It’s interesting as the historian has a different perspective on Fox than me, but we both agree that he is one of the most underrated people in British history.’
A new plaque for George Fox was unveiled last week in Fenny Drayton, the Quaker founder’s birthplace.
The award is one of six green plaques installed by Leicestershire City Council. The Quaker founder was nominated in 2018 for the twelve-strong shortlist by John Catt, a historian and humanist from Loughborough, and Friend John Spencer, from Gravesend, Kent, who independently put forward the Quaker’s name. John Spencer, from Rochester Meeting, who was born seven miles from Fenny Drayton, told the Friend that the plaque was unveiled at St Michael and All Angels Church, where Fox went as a boy. ‘It’s interesting as the historian has a different perspective on Fox than me, but we both agree that he is one of the most underrated people in British history.’
The plaque records that George was baptised in the church, where his father was a churchwarden, and began to formulate his beliefs.
John Catt said he was inspired to nominate George Fox because the influence of the Quaker way has been widely felt in, for instance, the US Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
George Fox was born in Fenny Drayton, then known as Drayton-in-the-Clay, in July 1624, the eldest of four children born to Christopher Fox, a successful weaver.
The plaque was unveiled on 22 June, with Ben Pink Dandelion and Simon Best from Woodbrooke in attendance, as well as Friends from Coventry, Hartshill, Rugby and Loughborough Meetings.
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