An Influential Man of Leicestershire - George Fox (1624 - 1691)
(This article is based on a Zoom talk given by John Catt 19/4/20) George Fox was born in July 1624 in the small village of Drayton-in-the-Clay, Leicestershire (now known as Fenny Drayton). His father was a prosperous weaver and churchwarden known as "Righteous Christer" . George was taught to read and write and take religion seriously. He became an apprentice shepherd in his teens, which gave him time to study the bible, and aged 19 in 1643, he headed of London driven by a “hidden voice”. The Civil War had begun and he described himself as in a state of torment (he may have been a manic depressive). Returning to Drayton in the Marsh after a year, he had a number of discussions with the local Anglican clergyman, who later called Fox mad and spoke against him. He continued travelling and discussing religion with clergy and any who were interested in religious thinking. This resulted in him developing ideas such as: Rituals can be ignored (baptism) Anyone