THE history of a famous old house and its links to the formation of a new religious group will feature in the next meeting being held at Askam and Ireleth History Group.

Guest speaker is the Reverend Dr David Jackson and his topic is the 16 th century Swarthmoor Hall, near Ulverston.

The talk is from 7.30pm on Thursday, July 20, at Duddon Road Methodist Church.

Admission is £2 including refreshments and all are welcome.There is an interesting link between Swarthmoor Hall and Marsh Grange, near Dunnerholme.

This was the birthplace of Margaret Askew who was a major figure in the early years of the Quaker movement.

She lived from 1614 to April 23 in 1702.

She married Thomas Fell, a barrister and later a circuit judge, in 1632 and they lived at Swarthmoor Hall.

She came across George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, at the end of June in 1652 - when he was a dangerous person to be associated with.

Fox planned a visit to Walney – which he called “Walnah” – to see convert James Lancaster at North Scale.

While preaching at Cocken, on the Barrow side of Walney Channel, Fox noted: “After a while there came a man with a pistol.

“Whereupon the people ran out of doors.

“He called for me: and when I came out to him, he snapp’d his pistol at me; but it would not go off.”

The next morning he set off across the channel in a boat.

He noted: “As soon as I came to land there rushed out about 40 men with staves, clubs and fishing poles and fell upon me, beating and punching me, and endeavoured to thrust me backwards into the sea.”

There was also a welcoming committee on the Cocken side – armed with pictchforks and flails.

Fox noted: “Kill him; knock him on the head: bring the cart and carry him away to the church yard.”

Swathmoor Hall became a central point in early Quaker activity and Margaret acted as an unofficial secretary for the religious movement.

She was jailed at Lancaster in 1664 for allowing the house to be used for religious meetings and did not get out until 1668.

The following year, by then a widow, she married George Fox – although work took him to London while she stayed at Swarthmoor.