early Quakers

[bearkat]

Looking at the history of Quakers it seems to be accepted that the movement began in 1647.

I've been looking at records for Peel's Court, Westminster on FindMyPast - Can anyone explain why there baptisms for Quakers as early as 1644?

[stanmapstone]

According to "The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church" The term "Quaker" was used from 1650, partly because people were expected to tremble before the Word of God, partly because a sect of women in Southwark had previously been so called. In 1650 George Fox was imprisoned in Derby as a blasphemer, and there a judge nicknamed the group "Quakers" after Fox had exhorted the magistrates to "tremble at the Word of God". 
Stan

[bearkat]

These were registers of Quaker births (I know Quakers didn't 'baptise') - but why so early?

[arthurk]

Could the early entries have been written up some years after the event rather than as they happened?

[Old Bristolian]

Arthurk is correct. When the Quaker registers started, some members included births (not baptisms) that had occurred before,

Steve

[stanmapstone]

That is just the birth date of the person recorded by the Quakers when they, or their parents, joined that particular Meeting Place. There are a number of earlier birth dates listed for Meeting Places around the country e.g. 10 for 1640 and 4 for 1638.

Stan

[bearkat]

Thank you for your helpful replies.

The birth registers seem to come in 2 formats. One looks like the original entry, the other a compiled list.

The particular child I am interested in was baptised in a C of E church, so the birth entry in the Quaker records could well have been entered at a later date.