Thomas Story
Thomas Story was a prominent Quaker figure born in 1670 near Carlisle, England. Educated at Carlisle Grammar School, he initially practiced law after studying under Richard Gilpin. His spiritual journey began when he questioned Anglican practices, leading to his conversion to Quakerism in 1689, influenced by local Quaker communities. In 1693, he began preaching and subsequently met the notable Quaker and American colonist William Penn. Story immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1698, where he gained recognition as a Quaker spokesman, serving in various roles including the first recorder of Philadelphia and briefly as mayor, a position he declined. His personal life included marrying Ann Shippen in 1706, though she passed away in 1712. Story kept a detailed diary throughout his life, which was published posthumously and offers valuable insights into the Quaker experience and early American society. However, after facing accusations of corruption related to his role as treasurer for the Pennsylvania Land Company, he returned to Europe in 1714, dedicating his later years to preaching and promoting Quaker beliefs. His journal remains a significant literary contribution, reflecting the culture and activities of the Society of Friends.
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Thomas Story
Writer
- Born: 1670
- Birthplace: Justice Town, near Carlisle, England
- Died: June 24, 1742
Biography
Thomas Story was born in 1670 in a small town near Carlisle, England, and was educated at the Carlisle Grammar School. He later learned law under the noted attorney Richard Gilpin in Cumberland, and in 1687 he began practicing law in Carlisle. As an educated young attorney, Story began questioning some of the liturgy and practices of the Anglican church, particularly challenging the practice of infant baptism. Influenced by local Quakers, Story converted to the sect in 1689. By 1693, he had began preaching, and in that same year he met the Quaker and American colonist William Penn.
Story accompanied Penn to Ireland in 1698, and in November, 1698, Story immigrated to Pennsylvania as a well-known and important Quaker spokesman. He became the first recorder of Philadelphia and was a member of the state council, a “keeper of the great seal,” and elected mayor of Philadelphia, although he declined the honor. During these years in Philadelphia, he married Ann Shippen in 1706; she died in 1712.
Story kept a diary during his years in Pennsylvania, where he not only accounted for his day’s activities but also entered into religious devotions and detailed his experiences preaching in the New World and in Europe. His journal was later published in its entirety in 1747 as A Journal of the Life of Thomas Story: Containing an Account of His Remarkable Convincement of and Embracing the Principles of Truth as Held by the People Called Quakers and Also of His Travels and Labours in the Service of the Gospel, with Many Other Occurrences and Observations; an abridged version was published in 1786 as The Life of Thomas Story.
During Story’s service as treasurer to the Pennsylvania Land Company, he was accused of corruption. Although the English courts eventually cleared him of wrongdoing, the experience seems to have soured him on the American colonies, and in 1714 he returned to Europe, never to return to the New World. Back in Europe, Story spent much of his time preaching and spreading the Quaker faith. Story’s most significant contribution to literature is his journal, which provides insight to the culture and activities of the Society of Friends during its migration to Pennsylvania.