William Savery (July 14, 1750 - June 19, 1804) was an American
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 ...
, an active preacher, an
abolitionist and a defender of the rights of
Native Americans.
In 1798, during his traveling ministry to Europe, he preached at a Quaker
meeting for worship in
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, which was attended by
Elizabeth Fry and he became one of the three people who inspired her to follow a deeper Quakerism working for the poor, the sick, and for radical
prison reform.
Early life
William Savery Jr. was the son of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
cabinetmaker
William Savery and his wife Mary Peters, both devout Quakers. He received a Quaker education, and was apprenticed as a
tanner. Following the completion of his apprenticeship his faith lapsed. Then, in 1778, following a meeting for burial at the
Merion Friends Meeting House
The Merion Friends Meeting House is an active and historic Quaker meeting house at 615 Montgomery Avenue in Merion Station, Pennsylvania. Completed about 1715, it is the second oldest Friends meeting house in the United States (after the Third ...
,
Merion, Pennsylvania, he experienced a deep religious transformation that changed his life. He married a religious fellow-Quaker, Sarah Evans, that year and in 1781 he was acknowledged as a
minister
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...
.
In 1783, he was a signatory to the Quaker Anti-Slavery Petition.
Intercession for Native Americans
Since the founding of
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
by the followers of
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 a ...
, the Native American peoples perceived that they were treated by Quakers universally, without violence and with equality, justice and respect. Consequently, in the negotiation of treaties with the US government,
Native American tribes often asked for the equitable presence of Quakers, both as advisers and mediators.
Savery took part in two important missions of this nature. The setting for his involvement was that in December, 1792, the Quaker meetings in Philadelphia had addressed an urgent letter to
President Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
asking him to take prompt and just measures to terminate the
American Indian Wars.
In 1793, six Quakers; William Savery,
Joseph Moore, John Parrish, John Elliott, Jacob Lindley and William Hartshorne attended the negotiations on territory rights held between the Native leaders of the
Western Confederacy and US government commissioners at
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Erie County, Ohio, Erie County, Ohio, United States. Situated along the shores of Lake Erie in the northern part of the state, Sandusky is located roughly midway between Toledo, Ohio, Toledo ( wes ...
. A major obstacle was soon presented at these negotiations by the Native Americans' demand that American settlers should relinquish all their settlements west of the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
. This demand created an ''
impasse'', no treaty was concluded, and the Quaker 'peace riders' were obliged to return home via the Niagara and St. Lawrence Rivers and
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Savery arrived back in Philadelphia in weak health from a prolonged journey of extreme personal hardship.
In 1794, again at the request of Native Americans, a Quaker delegation was sent to
New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
to assist them in the land negotiations held between the
Six Nation Indians and Colonel
Timothy Pickering
Timothy Pickering (July 17, 1745January 29, 1829) was the third United States Secretary of State under Presidents George Washington and John Adams. He also represented Massachusetts in both houses of Congress as a member of the Federalist Party. ...
, US commissioner. Savery volunteered for this service and witnessed the assurances and explanations given by Pickering which led to the
Treaty of Canandaigua which was signed at
Canandaigua, New York, on November 11, 1794. Once more, Savery found this experience to be a physically draining one which he overcame through religious zeal.
Ministry in Europe
On May 18, 1796, Savery traveled to Europe with a small party of Quaker ministers; Samuel Emlen, Deborah Darby, Rebecca Young, Sarah Talbot, and Phoebe Speakman. They reached
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
on June 19, 1796, and he immediately held meetings there, in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
and in
London
London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.
Savery and his party then traveled to Germany, to visit
Bad Pyrmont
Bad Pyrmont (, also: ; West Low German: ) is a town in the district of Hamelin-Pyrmont, in Lower Saxony, Germany, with a population close to 19,000. It is located on the river Emmer, about west of the Weser. Bad Pyrmont is a popular spa resort ...
which was then, and still is, the center of German Quakerism. On their return to England on May 16, 1797, Savery preached throughout the British Isles. At
Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
, he met the English religious writer and philanthropist,
Hannah More
Hannah More (2 February 1745 – 7 September 1833) was an English religious writer, philanthropist, poet and playwright in the circle of Johnson, Reynolds and Garrick, who wrote on moral and religious subjects. Born in Bristol, she taught at a s ...
, and was introduced by her to the preeminent abolitionist of the time,
William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce (24 August 175929 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becom ...
.
Savery's greatest influence in his ministry abroad was when he visited Norwich where he met the
Gurneys, a prominent Quaker family and Elizabeth Gurney, later Elizabeth Fry. He influenced her to a deeper Quaker witness by his ministry at the Norwich Meeting House on February 4, 1798, and in personal meetings with her. Fry would later credit Savery,
Deborah Darby
Deborah Darby (25 August 1754 – 14 February 1810) was a British Quaker minister and traveller based in Coalbrookdale, Shropshire.
Life
Darby was born in 1754 in Upperthorpe, Sheffield. She was one of the six children of Hannah (born Wilson) and ...
and
Priscilla Gurney with influencing her decision.
Before leaving Britain, Savery visited Ireland and stayed at Anner Mills,
Clonmel
Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Dro ...
, the home of the Irish Quaker businesswoman and social benefactor,
Sarah Pim Grubb
Sarah Pim Grubb (11 December 1746 – 1832) was a businesswoman and Quaker benefactor in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland. She married a miller and corn dealer named John Grubb in 1778. After her husband's death six years later, she ran his succ ...
. Savery was greatly troubled by the widespread poverty he saw in Ireland and on June 27, 1799, back in London, he reported to William Wilberforce on the destitute state of the people there.
On August 1, 1799, Savery and his companions concluded their ministry in Europe and sailed from Liverpool for New York.
Later years
Savery arrived at New York on October 18, 1799, and on his return his health began to gradually fail. He traveled only to attend the
yearly meeting
Yearly Meeting is a term used by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, to refer to an organization composed of constituent meetings or churches within a geographical area. The constituent meetings are called Monthly Meetings in ...
of New York in 1800 and
Baltimore Yearly Meeting in 1801 and from March 1804, he was confined to his home suffering from
dropsy.
William Savery died on June 19, 1804, following a short fever.
Savery's daughter-in-law was
Rebecca Scattergood Savery.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Savery, William
1750 births
1804 deaths
18th-century Quakers
American abolitionists
American Quakers
People of colonial Pennsylvania
Activists from Philadelphia
Quaker abolitionists