Am I right that Winstanley became a Quaker in later life? There seem to be many common threads in the nonconformist movements of the civil war period. Be interested if anybody could point me to publications covering that. Thank you for an interesting article.
Thanks Ian. In answer: yes, Winstanley almost certainly became a Quaker in later life (this was once questioned by certain historians but the evidence now seems overwhelming).
Thus about summer 1654 it was reported that Winstanley had been with the Quakers and that he had said that Quakers were 'sent to perfect that work which fell' in the Diggers' hands. Also, Winstanley's death on 10 September 1676 - he was then living near Bloomsbury Square in the parish of St Giles in the Fields - is recorded in a Quaker burial register; Winstanley was then described as a corn chandler and interred in the recently opened Long Acre Quaker burial ground. Moreover, his widow Elizabeth later remarried a Quaker.
The best brief (and affordable) biography of Winstanley is John Gurney's 'Gerrard Winstanley. The Digger's Life and Legacy'. He also wrote an excellent book called 'Brave Community: The Digger Movement in the English Revolution'.
What a great read! I think you should add a link to your excellent case study for the Our Subversive Voice website - I’d like to add a link to this piece in your OSV article if that’s ok?
Am I right that Winstanley became a Quaker in later life? There seem to be many common threads in the nonconformist movements of the civil war period. Be interested if anybody could point me to publications covering that. Thank you for an interesting article.
Thanks Ian. In answer: yes, Winstanley almost certainly became a Quaker in later life (this was once questioned by certain historians but the evidence now seems overwhelming).
Thus about summer 1654 it was reported that Winstanley had been with the Quakers and that he had said that Quakers were 'sent to perfect that work which fell' in the Diggers' hands. Also, Winstanley's death on 10 September 1676 - he was then living near Bloomsbury Square in the parish of St Giles in the Fields - is recorded in a Quaker burial register; Winstanley was then described as a corn chandler and interred in the recently opened Long Acre Quaker burial ground. Moreover, his widow Elizabeth later remarried a Quaker.
The best brief (and affordable) biography of Winstanley is John Gurney's 'Gerrard Winstanley. The Digger's Life and Legacy'. He also wrote an excellent book called 'Brave Community: The Digger Movement in the English Revolution'.
Great, thank you
What a great read! I think you should add a link to your excellent case study for the Our Subversive Voice website - I’d like to add a link to this piece in your OSV article if that’s ok?
Thanks Angela, glad you liked it.
Yes, of course, please feel free to link.
Very nice article, Ariel. This paper concisely explains the specificity and significance of the Diggers. This is a very helpful resource.
Thanks for your kind words Diego; much appreciated!