150 THE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. 



built. The meeting so increased that in 1708 a yearly 

 meeting was commenced, and continued here for nearly 

 seventy years, to which many Friends came from all 

 parts of New England, New York, and Philadelphia. 

 In 1706, 1722, and 1737, the famous physician and 

 Quaker preacher, Dr. John Fothergill of London, 

 visited the island as a minister of the gospel ; and his 

 son, Samuel Fothergill, came as a minister in 1755. 

 During the seventy years above mentioned, over five 

 hundred ministers with their companions visited the 

 island. Among them I find names of men of note in 

 the history of Pennsylvania. The celebrated Ben- 

 jamin Lay, who zealously preached against slavery and 

 the slave-trade, and in practice carried out his views 

 and principles, — refusing even to use any of the 

 known products of slave labor, — was one of them. 



" There were Friends upon the island who in a large 

 measure took the same stand. Elihu Coleman, who 

 was a most excellent man, and a minister in the soci- 

 ety, took a most decided stand on the slavery question, 

 and iii 1729 he published a pamphlet upon the sin and 

 iniquity of slaveholding ; and the subject of slavery, 

 its cruelty and wrong, were here discussed in their 

 monthly business meeting, and as early as 1727 a 

 minute was made in one of their meetings declaring 

 it a wrong and a sin, — that the society ought not to 

 tolerate it, or allow its continuance and practice by its 

 members. The meeting, with others in New England, 

 continued their protests against it, until the whole body 

 of Friends in that locality was purged of it; and very 

 soon it followed that no member of the society of 

 Friends in America could own a slave, or hire his 

 labor from an owner. 



