Rylstone Project

   Quaker History

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Rylstone has had a long association with the Quakers since the Society of Friends - as the Quakers were called - was started by the activities of George Fox in 1647. Originally, the Quakers met in private homes and Scale House was said to be an early meetings venue for local members of the faith. In 1657, a Quaker burial site was founded by the Raikes Road between Hetton and Rylstone and, behind this, a Friends Meeting House was later built. This is now Fox Barn House, a private residence.

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We present this section in memory of the late Richard Harland, pitcured below, who was a noted local archaeologist and researcher on the Quakers in Craven and Rylstone. His article on the Quaker, Richard Scosthrop, is given below Richaard's photograph, and then we reproduce the excellent article, which appeared in a past edition of Times Past, by kind permission of the Rylstone and District Local History Group, which brings together all the locally available information on Rylstone's Quaker history. 

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