Rebecca Travers (''née'' Booth; 1609 – 15 June 1688) was a prominent

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

in the earliest development period of that religious movement. Her funeral oration was delivered by

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy an ...

Biography

Rebecca Travers was born in 1609, the daughter of a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christianity, Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe ...

named Booth, and studied the Bible from the age of six. At an early age, she married William Travers, a tobacconist at the Three Feathers, Watling Street, London. In 1654 curiosity led her to hear a dispute between

James Nayler James Nayler (or Naylor; 1618–1660) was an English Quaker leader. He was among the members of the Valiant Sixty, a group of early Quaker preachers and missionaries. In 1656, Nayler achieved national notoriety when he re-enacted Christ's Palm ...

and the Baptists. Soon afterwards she met Nayler privately, became a Quaker and his friend. Her stability and discretion contrasted, according to the ''

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', with the extravagances of the handful of Quaker women who contributed to Nayler's fall. Rebecca Travers visited him in prison, and upon his release in September 1659, lodged him for a time at her house. A fearless and powerful preacher, Travers attended St John the Evangelist's church in the same year and questioned the priest on his doctrine. He hurried away, leaving her to be jostled and abused. John Gough says she was three times in

Newgate Prison Newgate Prison was a prison at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey Street just inside the City of London, England, originally at the site of Newgate, a gate in the Roman London Wall. Built in the 12th century and demolished in 1904, ...

in 1664, but these imprisonments are not recorded in Besse's ''Sufferings''. She was early taking a prominent part among Quaker women, being trusted especially with care of the sick, poor and prisoners. She visited prisons at Ipswich and elsewhere. In 1671, a year before the representative yearly meeting, the "six weeks' meeting" was established as a court of appeal composed of "ancient Friends" —- old in experience and Quaker standing, not age. Rebecca Travers was one of its first members. The "box meeting" for the relief of poor Friends was initiated at her house, where

George Fox George Fox (July 1624 – 13 January 1691) was an English Dissenter, who was a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends. The son of a Leicestershire weaver, he lived in times of social upheaval and ...

was a frequent visitor. She is described as the most prolific Quaker after

Margaret Fell Margaret Fell orMargaret Fox ( Askew, formerly Fell; 1614 – 23 April 1702) was a founder of the Religious Society of Friends. Known popularly as the "mother of Quakerism," she is considered one of the Valiant Sixty early Quaker preachers and m ...

. She was the author of ten small works, including a volume of religious verse, and prefaces to two of Nayler's books; also of ''The Work of God in a Dying Maid'', London, 1677 – an account of the conversion to Quakerism and subsequent death of Susannah Whitrowe, a young lady of 15. Rebecca Travers died on 15 June 1688, aged 79. Her funeral oration was delivered by

.Oration by William Penn
Quaker Pages A son, Matthew, and at least one daughter survived her.

References

Attribution

{{DEFAULTSORT:Travers, Rebecca 1609 births 1688 deaths English Quakers 17th-century English writers 17th-century English women writers Converts to Quakerism Quaker writers

Biography

See also

References

Attribution