George Fox is generally considered to be the founder of the Religious Society of Friends. Born in 1624 near Leicestershire, England, his radically different approach to religion resulted in him being frequently arrested.
As a young man, Fox traveled extensively around England, and he frequently spent time with clergy, but Fox found little help for his troubles from their traditional views.
During this time, Fox heard an inner voice telling him, “I heard a voice which said, ‘There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition’; and when I heard it my heart did leap for joy.”
This thought would become a foundation of Quaker beliefs.
Fox began to preach in public around 1647, and he began to attract a following. His group was known as “Friends of the Truth”, which then became just “Friends”.
In 1650 Fox wrote that “Justice Bennet of Derby first called us Quakers because we bid them tremble at the word of God.” At that time, the term was meant to be derisive, but it was soon embraced by and still used by Friends.
Two days after preaching in London, George Fox died on January 13, 1690. He is buried at the Quaker Burying Ground at Bunhill Fields in London.
Peachtree Friends Meeting 