Fell, Margaret (1614-1702), was a founder of the Quaker religion and its most influential woman leader of the 1600’s. The Quakers also are known as the Religious Society of Friends. Quaker originally was intended as an insulting nickname, but the Friends came to embrace it.
Fell was born Margaret Askew in 1614 in Lancashire, England. Her father was a wealthy gentleman. At the age of 18, she married Thomas Fell, a judge and government official. They lived at Swarthmoor Hall, near Ulverston, in Lancashire. Even as a teenager, Margaret described herself as a Seeker, meaning somebody dissatisfied with the established Church of England and seeking spiritual truth elsewhere. George Fox, who founded the Society of Friends, visited Ulverston in 1652. After hearing him speak, Margaret converted to Quakerism. She invited Fox to make Swarthmoor Hall his home when visiting the neighborhood. Within two years, Swarthmoor Hall in effect had become the headquarters of the Quaker movement. Margaret exchanged letters with Quaker leaders all over England and became a central figure in coordinating Quaker activities.
Some people regarded Quakers as dangerous radicals, partly because Quakers argued that women had as much right to speak and preach in public and to be ministers as men had. Margaret provided the most effective defense of this Quaker practice in the book Womens Speaking Justified (1666), which used the Bible to defend women’s ministry. Quakers often faced persecution, and Margaret was imprisoned several times after 1660. However, because of her upper-class connections, she was able to secure her own freedom and that of other Friends.
Thomas Fell died in 1658, and Margaret married George Fox in 1669. Although still regarded as an important Quaker leader, Margaret became increasingly troubled by the direction of Quakerism after 1670. She believed the movement was too focused on maintaining outward appearances and order. Margaret died on April 23, 1702, at Swarthmoor Hall. Her former home is open for tours, educational courses, and spiritual retreats.
