History of The Religious Society of Friends in Lurgan

FOREWORD

For many years Lurgan Friends have been struggling with the problem of trying to maintain a meeting house which was falling into disrepair. The financial resources could no longer meet the major renovations required and certain parts of the building were unsafe. Naturally there was a strong attachment to our place of worship and a degree of reluctance to make changes.

A local business man with Quaker connections indicated an interest to purchase the meeting house which is a listed building of historic interest to Lurgan. After much thought and discussion it was agreed to sell the meeting house plus a field which was sold to a building contractor.

These transactions resulted in the provision of a new and much smaller building which is more suited to our needs. This is giving Lurgan Friends a great deal of pleasure. It has been comforting to see our old meeting house restored, converted into offices and used in an acceptable manner.

It was not planned that our new place of worship would be built exactly three hundred years after the first meeting house in Lurgan, but the fact has certainly added to the occasion.

The thought of having a written history of Friends in Lurgan was expressed and when this was mentioned to Arthur G. Chapman, we were encouraged by his interest in the idea and subsequent agreement to carry out the task.

Lurgan Friends are indebted to Arthur G. Chapman, a member of Lurgan Monthly Meeting, for taking on this commitment. As the retired principal of Friends' School, Lisburn, and the son of George R. Chapman, a well-known historian, his qualifications as author could not be better.

but there was unity of thought and desire to retain a Quaker witness in Lurgan.

We are grateful to those, who were sensitive to the voice of God within and were obedient to the truth as it was revealed to them. Many suffered severely for their faith, but their Christian witness shone through as they radiated the peace and love of God in their own lives. Friends were fearless in opposing injustice and were concerned for the welfare of all.

As we think of those who have led the way, may we, in our turn, be able to discern what God expects of us now and to courageously face the challenge, knowing that we are not on our own but that the divine presence is always with us. We long to see a lasting peace brought to fruition in our country and hope that we may be used, even in small ways, to help bring this about.

We would like to acknowledge, with gratitude, the encouragement we have been given and the financial support received to cover the expenses of this publication from the following sources:

THE THOMAS WAINWRIGHT LEGACY

This fund was left by Thomas Wainwright of Lurgan in 1707 and was of original value of £200. Part of the purpose of the legacy is to assist with the printing of Friends' books at the discretion of Ulster Quarterly Meeting.

JESSIE CAIRNS BEQUEST - administered by Coleraine Meeting

IRELAND YEARLY MEETING HISTORICAL COMMITTEE: Publications Sub-Committee

We hope that this book will be of value to all who read it and an outreach for Friends generally.

MARGARET K. LIVINGSTON

PREFACE

The rich material which exists from the founding of Lurgan Meeting has made the writing of this history comparatively easy. The problem has been to select from the vast quantities of records what is most meaningful and significant.

My thanks are due to my late father, George R. Chapman, for instilling in me an interest in local Quaker history and from whose collection of papers I have drawn extensively. The records held by the Archives Committee of Ulster Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends and the Friends Historical Library in Swanbrook House, Dublin, have been also an invaluable source and I must pay tribute to the assistance of George L. Stephenson in my search for relevant material.

Encouragement to put pen to paper was fostered by recent visits of descendants of Bullochs, Dixons, Harlands and Hollingsworths. These families emigrated from Lurgan to America centuries ago and have shown an intense desire to discover as much as possible about their Irish roots.

Valuable assistance about Lurgan town and district has been given to me by Kieran Clendinning, Gerard McAtasney and Dr. Francis X. McCorry. Dr. W.H. Crawford was most generous in supplying information about the Linen Industry in Ulster. Philip Wilson, Curator of the Craigavon Museum Project, and Irene Martin, the Library Documentation Officer, have been constantly available for consultation and advice, as has George Ruddock who endeavoured to keep my text historically respectable.

Finally, I must thank the Committee of Lurgan Friends who patiently accepted my ideas and observations and saw to the practical details of publication. The history of Friends in Lurgan is not complete; it is an ongoing story. The new Meeting House on their historic site is a centre for worship and witness to the power of God in every age.