Richard Hubberthorne

Richard Hubberthorne (died August 1662) was an early Quaker preachers and writer active in the 1650s and early 1660s until his death in Newgate prison.

Hubberthorne is generally overshadowed by more famous early Quakers like George Fox, James Nayler, and Edward Burroughs. William Braithwaite "Beginnings of Quakerism" includes him among the "heroic pioneers of the new movement" ["The beginnings of Quakerism" (1912) by William Braithwaite, p. 86.] , but puts him last, and later describes his writing as having "no distinction either of style or matter." ["BQ" p. 303. The comments are also directed at George Whitehead's writings.] .

Pre-Quaker life

Hubberthorne was born in Lancashire, the only son of a yeoman and his wife. His childhood is reminiscent of Fox's – Edward Burroughs describes him as being "inclinable from his youth upwards to Religion and to the best way, always minding the best things," though unlike the headstrong young George, his disposition was "meek and lowly," and he "loved peace among men". However, around age 20 he joined the army and fought in the English Civil War, which Burrough reports without obvious disapproval. [Preface to the 1663 "Collection" of his works (see "Works" section above), pp. vi-vii.]

After the war ended, he apparently was in the company of the large group of disaffected radical puritans known as "Seekers" in the Westmorland area. ["BQ" p. 92.] The Seekers were already, it should be noted, close to a number of "Quaker" positions and practices: their official minister refused to accept payment from the compulsory tithes, for example, and after he left the group held some of their meetings in silence. ["BQ" p. 80 on tithes and 82 on silence.]

Quaker career

But the spark that lit a fire under the Westmorland Seekers was the arrival of George Fox in June of 1652. Burrough, who was also one of them, recounts Hubberthorne’s conversion experience in this fascinating way:

:And when it pleased the Lord God everlasting to raise us up to be a People in the North parts, … This same Person was one among the first of us whose heart the Lord touched with the sense of his Power and Kingdom; and amongst us he had the mighty operation of the Power of God experienced in his heart; Great afflictions and tribulations for many weeks was he exercised in … he was in that state, and while therein exercised for many days, a wonder to all that beheld him, as one passing out of the body, as one under the deep sense of the hand of the Lord, under the operation of his Power; thus it was with many of us, and particularly with him … ["Collection" pp. vii-viii, spelling modernized. The account continues: "Till such time as the same Power that killed made alive, as wounded also healed, as brought down also raised up ...]

Works

A volume of his collected works were published in 1663, a year after his death, and titled "A collection of the several books and writings of that faithful servant of God, Richard Hubberthorn, who finished his testimony (being a prisoner at Newgate for the truths sake) the 17th of the 6th month, 1662" (phew).

Not everything he wrote appears to be included in the this volume however, because another recent book ("Walking in the way of peace" by Meredith Baldwin Weddle) refers to a pamphlet of his called "The good old cause briefly demonstrated", published in 1659 that is not in the "Collection".

References

This article was derived from Quakerpedia, a public domain resource. The original article is available [http://en.quakerpedia.org/index.php?title=Richard_Hubberthorne&oldid=2851 here] .

External links

*
*Works:
**The " [http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/top3mset/f04e2d50a54fd609a19afeb4da09e526.html Collection] " on WorldCat Libraries.
**" [http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/top3mset/66f86ce698828720a19afeb4da09e526.html The good old cause briefly demonstrated] " on WorldCat Libraries.
** [http://epistles.quakerism.net/?p=17 Undated "Epistle to Friends"] from the 1663 "Collection"
* [http://gaq.quakerism.net/?p=50 Blog post] on "The Seed Lifting Up" that formed the starting point for this article
* [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/14018 Article] in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (subscription required)

Persondata
NAME=Hubberthorne, Richard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Hubberthorn
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Quaker preacher and writer.
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=August 1992
PLACE OF DEATH=Newgate prison, London