The Biographical Dictionary of British Quakers in Commerce and Industry 1775-1920

The Biographical Dictionary of British Quakers in Commerce and Industry 1775-1920, by Edward H. Milligan,^[1] includes entries for some 2,800 people, arranged alphabetically. The last page is numbered 606.

Author

The author is the former Librarian and Archivist of Meeting for Sufferings of Britain Yearly Meeting, who was responsible for the Library at Friends House, London and the co-operative biography project with two Quaker colleges in the United States. The author received the 2009 Besterman/McColvin Award for this work.^[2]

Indices

The work includes the following indices:

• Illustrations (copious black and white)
• Occupations
• Places (Arranged by County and Town)
• Apprentice masters
• Schools attended

Other introductory and explanatory matter

The prelims (xviii pages)

• Prologue
• The Quaker background
• Entry arrangement (a somewhat lengthy explanation, but highly relevant)
• Abbreviations.

The appendices

1. The Quaker calendar
2. Editions of the Book of Discipline of London Yearly Meeting/Britain Yearly Meeting.
3. Queries and general advices
4. Regional and local area structure
5. Census of attendance at Meetings 1851
6. York apprentices
7. Friends Provident directors: an outsider's view

• Glossary (Mini-essays on 50 Quakerese terms and issues, such as the Beacon Controversy, The Contagious Diseases Acts, Disownment, the Manchester Difficulty, Plain Dress, Women's Meetings . . .
• Bibliography
• Epilogue (which envisages the setting up of a revision committee for this work).

The entries

The Dictionary shows many kinship groups active in commerce and industry. It shows the female children of each subject, if they married a male who is also a subject. An example of kinship is the entries for people called "Fox":

Albert (1836-1867), Kingsbridge Alfred (1794-1874), Falmouth Alfred Lloyd (1829-1885), Falmouth Arthur Edward (1864-1940), Falmouth Charles (1797-1878), Falmouth Charles (1801-1860), Wellington Charles Alfred (1848-1929), Kingsbridge David (1790-1871), Dewesbury David (1840-1901), Dewesbury Dykes Alexander (1829-1905), Wellington Edward (1749-1817), Wadebridge Edward (1789-1845), Wellington Edward Bonville (1886-1944), Plymouth Francis (1765-1812), Plymouth Francis (1772-1815), Parr Francis (1797-1862), Wadebridge Francis Edward (1834-1914), Tottenham Francis William (1841-1914), Kingsbridge Frederick (1798-1830), Falmouth Frederick Hingston (1825-1910), Wadebridge George (1746-1816), Wadebridge George (1796-1882), Wadebridge George Croker (1752-1807), Falmouth George Croker (1785-1850), Falmouth

George Edward (1826-1912), Wadebridge George Henry (1845-1931), Falmouth Henry (1800-1876), Wellington Howard (1836-1922), Falmouth James (1741/2-1819), Plymouth John Howard (1864-1951), Wellington Joseph Hingston (1835-1912), Kingsbridge Joseph Howland (1833-1915), Wellington Joshua (1792-1877), Falmouth Nathaniel (1835-1910), Falmouth Robert Were (1754-1818), Falmouth Robert Were (1789-1877), Falmouth Robert Were (1792-1872), Wadebridge Samuel (1781-1868), Nottingham Samuel (1794-1874), Wellington Samuel Lindoe (1830-1862), Wellington Sylvanus (1791-1851), Wellington Theodore (1831-1899), Falmouth Thomas (1747/9-1821), Wadebridge Thomas (1786-1862), Wellington Thomas (1828-1898), Wellington Thomas Were (1766-1844), Falmouth William (1746-1820), Nottingham

For more about the Quaker Foxes, see Francis Fox of St Germans and the Fox family of Falmouth.

References

1. Milligan, Edward H (2007). The Biographical Dictionary of British Quakers in Commerce and Industry 1775-1920. York, U.K.: William Sessions Limited. ISBN 1-85072-367-2. Hardcover ISBN 978-1-85072-367-7
2. reported in The Friend 19 June 2009. The Besterman/McColvin Award is given by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) for outstanding works of reference.