In Brief: A Brief History of Quakers in Lancaster County, 1658–1959

By Ernest Schreiber. Self-published, 2023. 91 pages. $20/paperback.

This concise volume offers an overview of Friends’ influence in Lancaster County, Pa. One highlight of the book is the discussion of Susanna Wright, a colonial-era Quaker woman who served as an advisor to Benjamin Franklin and mediated disputes between Europeans and Indigenous people. Wright did not marry or have children but administered her family’s farm, growing indigo, flax, hemp, and hops. She also raised tea and medicinal plants in her herb garden. In addition, she pioneered a way to keep silkworms in a cold climate.

Schreiber offers a timeline of Quakers’ growing opposition to enslaving people. He clearly acknowledges that early Quakers held people in bondage and stole their labor. He describes how members of Chester Quarter (which was part of what eventually became Lancaster County) admonished Quakers in Philadelphia to stop purchasing or trading in human beings.

The book traces Lancaster County Quakers into the twentieth century, noting their response to World War I. Friends across the county were conscientious objectors who refrained from fighting but served as medical professionals and purveyors of humanitarian relief. Draft-eligible Quakers in Lancaster County received farm exemptions so they could continue providing the nation with food during wartime.

Friends seeking an engaging and easy-to-read introduction to Quakers in Pennsylvania will appreciate this informative book.

---

Sharlee DiMenichi, FJ staff writer