slavery
One of the primary tenets of Quakerism was the condemnation of slavery. The Scituate and Pembroke sect departed from this tenet Records indicate that some owned slaves right up to the revolutionary period. Even Edward Wanton was a slave owner. A notice posted in the Boston Newsletter dated September 22, 1712 read: Ran away from his master Edward Wanton of Scituate a mulatto man servant named Daniel about 19 years of age .... The will of Edward Wanton in 1716 states:
"To my daughter, Elizabeth I give a mulatto boy named Daniel, if he be found he being now run away." It would appear that Wanton had no reservations about being a slave owner. And, Wanton was not the only Quaker owned slaves. George Russel sold his dwelling house and land located near the King's Highway Inn in 1690 to Thomas Macomber. The deed recorded specifies that the consideration or payment was "a certain Negro man servant valued at twenty and two pounds.”
It is not unusual that this group of Quakers supported an activity contrary to the essence of the Quaker beliefs, as many such differences were common in every faith and the Quakers were not without their own schism and offshoot religions including the innovative Shaker movement.
Whether it was the Quaker influence or not, the inhabitants of Pembroke addressed a letter to their representative, John Turner, which appeared in The Boston Gazette of June 14, 1773, stating: “We think the negro petition reasonable, agreeable to natural justice and the precepts of the Gospel; and therefore advise that, in concurrence with the other worthy members of the Assembly, you find a way in which they may be freed from slavery, without a wrong to their present masters, or injury to themselves .... to the end that a total abolition of slavery may come in due time, take place."
"To my daughter, Elizabeth I give a mulatto boy named Daniel, if he be found he being now run away." It would appear that Wanton had no reservations about being a slave owner. And, Wanton was not the only Quaker owned slaves. George Russel sold his dwelling house and land located near the King's Highway Inn in 1690 to Thomas Macomber. The deed recorded specifies that the consideration or payment was "a certain Negro man servant valued at twenty and two pounds.”
It is not unusual that this group of Quakers supported an activity contrary to the essence of the Quaker beliefs, as many such differences were common in every faith and the Quakers were not without their own schism and offshoot religions including the innovative Shaker movement.
Whether it was the Quaker influence or not, the inhabitants of Pembroke addressed a letter to their representative, John Turner, which appeared in The Boston Gazette of June 14, 1773, stating: “We think the negro petition reasonable, agreeable to natural justice and the precepts of the Gospel; and therefore advise that, in concurrence with the other worthy members of the Assembly, you find a way in which they may be freed from slavery, without a wrong to their present masters, or injury to themselves .... to the end that a total abolition of slavery may come in due time, take place."
