In this paper, I suggest a hypothesis of the way how the Quaker businessmen in the 19th century Britain influenced the Religios Society of Friends(Quakers). Around 40 years ago, Dr. A. RAISTRICK suggested that, from the end of the 18th century, many Quaker businessmen, having become rich, felt it difficult to maintain simple life, and began to leave the Society. I think this thesis is not correct. In the 18th century, among the British Quakers, the so called Quietism was predominant. It was a dull and stagnant period in the religious sense, but, meanwhile many Quaker businessmen, becoming successful and rich, got familliar with the businessmen of different persuasions and were influenceed by theier religion. Around 1780-1830, Quaker businessmen were very active in the business meetings of the Society(from London Yearly Meeting to preparative meetings). They tried to reform the British Quakerism. Some Quaker Businessmen including W. RATHBONE the 4th, merchant of Liverpool, were strongly influenced by Unitarianism. When they confessed their tenet, they were disowned by the orthodox Friends. On the other hand, Beaconites, led by I. CREWDSON, cotton spinner of Manchester, adhered to extreme evangelicalism, and resigned from the Society. Then it was moderate evangelicalism advocated by J.J. GURNEY, banker of Norwich, that became the orthodoxy from the 1820s to 1880s. Although the number of the members of the Society began to increase after 1850, the numbea of cases of resignation of the Quaker businessmen increased remarkably in the same period. As was the case of the English businessmen as a whole, many members of Quaker business families(including Darbys of Coalbrookdale, Huntleys and Palmers of Reading, Hamburys of London, Crosfields of Warrinton and Ashworths of Turton) became very prosperous after 1850, and being gentrified, left the Society. But some of the Quaker business families(including Rowntrees of York and Cadburys of Birmingham) remained to be active Friends. The members of these families, not only became leaders of the new Quakerism of the ealier 20th century, but also deeply influenced the formation of British management thought and the Brilish welfare thought.
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