Family of Love

[bonnieweber99]

Hi All
My research in Cambridgeshire, has uncovered a very early Protestant group called the "family of love" or "Familists". Apparently they had three main areas in England from 1550 to 1630. London, among Queen Elizabeth's staff, Balsham and Ely.

They were quite secretive, and so there seems to be very scant records.

Anyone know of this group?

Thanks, Bonnie

[carolchipp]

Quite a bit of info if you google familists - about its origins etc. It seems to have been absorbed into other groups such as the Quakers in time.

[Coromandel]

I had never heard of them until today, Bonnie, so thank you for asking this interesting question. After a bit of searching around online I found this article with a useful bibliography:

http://www.
exlibris.org/nonconform/engdis/familists.html

From this I see that there's a 1994 book called The Family of Love in English Society: 1550-1630, by C.W. Marsh, whose PhD thesis (1992) had the same title.

[Peter Goodey]

There is quite a bit on Familism in Christopher Hill's The World Turned Upside Down (ISBN 9780140137323) which discusses the wealth of radical ideas that surfaced during the 17th century.

Be cautious because not everyone who was described as a Familist was necessarily one - it was sometimes used as a vague term of abuse against opponents in much the same way as the term 'Anabaptist' was.

[bonnieweber99]

Thanks to all
I have the book by Christophe Marsh, and am half way through it. Apparently they were forerunners of Quakers and Puritans and Baptists.
My Thomas Baker, was a minister in the First Baptist church in Rhode Island, and broke away with 16 others to create the second Baptist Church. He never called himself a Minister, but always a "tailor" by trade. It makes me believe that the clergy was unpaid.

Are there any records of apprentices in the 1600's? He was born between 1634-1638.

Thanks
Bonnie

[Jan1954]

Are there any records of apprentices in the 1600's? He was born between 1634-1638.

Hello Bonnie,

Have a read of this TNA Research Guide about Apprentices.