North Wales Quakers
Wrexham

When Wrexham Friends issued an appeal for funds to build the present Meeting House in the early 1960's, they were able to claim that the Meeting had been formed in 1939. No names were mentioned but we cannot doubt that prominent among them was that of Tom E. Ellis.

The appeal interestingly states that Quakerism began in Wrexham in 1649. Morgan Llwyd, the notable nonconformist minister had sent one of his congregation, John ap John, to enquire of George Fox in Lancaster about his teaching. John ap John returned a convert, and remained active among Friends for many a year.

We have to infer that the minutes of Wrexham Meeting in the period after the purchase of the Holt Street site in 1708 are nowhere to be found, but there are references to the continued existence of the Meeting in the minutes of Nantwich Meeting in 1724 and again in 1740.

From about 1767 to about 1781 the property was let to a nonconformist minister for use as a day school. Later, in 1801. we learn that the ground was let for �2 per annum to a nearby house-holder for use as a garden.

Eighteenth century Friends were not archive-minded evidently, but barring the cosmic catastrophe we all fear, twenty-second century Friends should know rather more about us. Let's hope they don't have to assume that Quakerism fizzled out after a century or so!

Charles Hamer
1998