Quaker Lane - Quaker Schism

(For more details on Quakers/Friends see Beacon Hill Meeting House)

Some Quakers were conscientiously convinced that they could, despite the Friends' peace testimony, take up arms against the British. Calling themselves "Free Quakers," they organized in Philadelphia. The majority of Quakers adhered to the denomination's traditional position of pacifism and disowned their belligerent brethren. This Free Quaker broadside declares that although the "regular" Quakers have "separated yourselves from us, and declared that you have no unity with us," the schism does not compromise the Free Quakers' rights to common property.

Fractures such as this in the Quaker community were documented as early as the 1690s, where the formal schism occurred in 1827 in Philadelphia and filtered into similar schisms starting in Baltimore, New York, New England, Ohio, and Indiana then further diverging from there.

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This is the site of a Quaker Meeting House and Cemetery, now known as Quaker Lane plot 2000 and 3202. Paul Revere created a schematic drawing of the Boston Massacre which is believed to be quite accurate. It was even presented as evidence during the Massacre trial. It shows how Attucks and Gray died at the soldiers’ feet, but that Samuel Maverick was shot while standing in Quaker Lane. In the diagram his little figure is marked with a ‘G’ presumably for his master, Isaac Greenwood. (last link) Sources differ on whether Maverick was apprenticing as a carpenter or dentist. Under his master he received small wages and shared a bedroom with his masters son, John Greenwood.

Samuel Maverick was 17 years old and happened to be in front of the Customs house almost accidentally. According to testimony from Jonathan Carrey he was at Carrey’s house for supper with some other lads and when the bells rung, they all thought it was a fire and he ran out in order to help. He remained on the street after realizing there was no fire. Another account says Maverick worked his way toward the front of the crowd that was harassing British soldiers. Residents shouted at the troop, some screaming “kill them!”

At the height of the dispute, when the frightened soldiers raised their muskets to threaten the crowd, Maverick shouted, “Fire away, you damned lobsterbacks!”. They did. The musket fire killed Maverick and four others and sent fifteen-year-old Greenwood spiraling into a deep depression over the loss of his close friend. John Greenwood later became one of the youngest enlisted men in the Continental Army. Private Matthew Killroy was charged with his murder. Samuel Maverick was buried by his mother’s boarding house on Union Street. In the present day his name is commemorated by Maverick Square in East Boston.

What fruitage did these spiritual leaders produce? Mt 7:15-20. Consider John 17:16 vs Acts 20:29, 30. What would Jesus have said seeing this?

-Source Links-

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel03.html#obj093 a picture of the Quaker broadside (poster)

https://yardleyfriendsmeeting.org/about-us-2/quakers/scism-and-reform-1800-1900/

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/siege-of-boston-map.htm

https://www.cryan.com/daily/20180419.jsp

https://boston1775.blogspot.com/2009/03/memories-of-samuel-maverick.html

http://www.bostonmassacre.net/players/Samuel-Maverick.htm

http://www.paul-revere-heritage.com/landmarks-boston-massacre.html (Revere’s diagram)