The Quaker Movement began in 1652 in England by George Fox. The Quakers, also known as Friends, suffered much persecution including imprisonment and even death. The Quakers began to arrive from England to Massachusetts in 1656, hoping to be able to worship freely without persecution. This was not to be. They were met with hostility and some were even forced to board ships and leave Massachusetts. Quakers that arrived in Boston were whipped, fined, imprisoned, accused of witchcraft, belongings burned, deprived of food, and sent out of Massachusetts back to England. Ship captains would even be fined if they brought Quakers to Massachusetts. Despite these horrific atrocities that the Quakers faced, they continued to come to Massachusetts. Quakers were being banished from Massachusertts. Many left and went to Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Our Wheeler Quaker History begins in Salem, Massachusetts and includes the families of  Lawrence and Cassandra Southwick and Caleb and Hannah Pope Buffum. We then head to Smithfield, Rhode Island where the Buffum and Mowry Families were. Next, we travel to Uxbridge, Massachusetts, hitching a ride with the Mowry family. Lastly, we end up in Bolton, Massachusetts where our family gathered for worship.

Lawrence and Cassandra Southwick immigrated to Salem in 1637 with four of their children. Lawrence was a glassmaker. His business was Glass House Field. Lawrence and Cassandra were members of the Church in Salem, but later became Quakers.In 1657, Lawrence and Cassandra were imprisoned for hosting Quaker preachers. Lawrence was released, but Cassandra held for seven weeks, was whipped, and fined 40 shillings. In 1658, Lawrenceand  Cassandra were imprisoned again, this time with their son Joshua for being Quakers.This time it was for twenty weeks.  In 1659 it got so bad with fines they incurred from being imprisoned, that the town ordered their daughter Provide and their son Daniel to be sold as slaves and sent to Barbados to work off the fines. No ship captain would take the children. The Southwicks were banished to New York where they both died within days of one another. Lawrence and Cassandra’s third great grandson, Stephen Southwick, married Mary Wheeler, daughter of Jonathan and Mary Buffum Wheeler. Some famous descendants of Lawrence and Cassandra are Winston Churchill, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon LaRouche.

Robert Buffum along with his second wife, Thomasine (aka Tamsen) Ward Thompson, and his seven children settled in Salem in 1634. They were Quakers just looking for a place where they could worship freely without persecution. Once again, this was not to be. Both parents and children suffered persecution for being Quakers. Their children, all born in Salem, MA, were:  Joshua (1635-1705) ; Mary Buffum Neal (Abt. 1637- Bef. 1707);  Deborah Buffum Wilson (1639-1675); Damaris Buffum (1641 - died young); Robard Buffum (1643-1645); Lydia Buffum Hill (1644-1718);Sarah Buffum Bean (1648-1704/05); and Caleb (29 Jul 1650- 24 Nov 1731) was a constable and a carpenter. He married Hannah Pope 26 Mar 1672. Robert died in 1669 and Tamsen died in 1688. 

Caleb Buffum was strongly against the “Witch Hunt” taking place in Salem. He helped those he could, but especially for  those who were hanged by providing a proper burial for them. As his land bordered the North River, he would bring the coffins down the river at night to the hill and where the accused witches were hanged. In 1718, Caleb donated a plot of land to the Quaker Society. It is located on Essex Street and is currently a burial ground. Caleb kept a diary which is currently located at the Peabody Essex Museum along with other Buffum documents. The link for the collection is listed below in the sources.

Caleb and Hannah had the following children all born in Salem, MA:  Caleb Buffum (1673 - 1728); Robert Buffum (1675 - 17446); Hannah Buffum Buffington (1677 - 1777); Tamoson Buffum Southwick (1681 - ?); Joseph Buffum (1684 - died young); Benjamin Buffum (1686 - 03 Jan 1748) was a blacksmith and married Elizabeth Buxton abt. 1708; and Jonathan (1688/89 - Abt. 1730).

Benjamin Buffum moved to Smithfield, Rhode Island in 1639. Many Quakers went to Rhode Island to escape persecution. This could be why Benjamin moved there. Smithfield, Rhode Island was a large farming community.

Benjamin and Elizabeth had the following children all born in Salem:  Elizabeth Buffum Comstock (1709 - 1807); Hannah Buffum Sweet (Sweat) (1711 - ?); Esther Buffum Baker (1714 -1793; Joseph Buffum (1717 - 1796); Lydia Buffum Kelley (Kelly) (1722 - 1802); Benjamin Buffum (15 Jan 1725 - 02 May 1798) married first Ann Farnum abt. 1750 and then Elizabeth Sweet (Sweat) 26 Jul 1751; Rachel Buffum Mann (1727 - 1810); and Rebecca Buffum (Abt. 1729 - ?).

Benjamin and Elizabeth had the following children all born in Smithfield:  Annie Buffum; Moses Buffum; Mary Buffum (30 Apr 1757 - 05 Sep 1838) married Jonathan Wheeler 03 Jul 1755; Caleb Buffum; Stephen Buffum; Elizabeth “Betsey” Buffum; Joshua Buffum; and Hannah Buffum.

Richard Mowry was born in Smithfield, Rhode Island which bordered Uxbridge, Massachusetts. He started attending Quaker meetings in 1771. He formally joined the Quakers on 25 Aug 1778. The Smithfield Quaker meeting extended into Uxbridge, Massachusetts, which was dubbed “Quaker City.”  After the birth of his first child, he moved the family to Uxbridge where he lived for the next 60 years until his death. 

Gideon Mowry, who married Ruth Wheeler, daughter of Jonathan and Mary Buffum Wheeler, was also a part of the Wheeler Quaker history. He was influential in the Bolton Society of Friends having their own meeting. The first group was established in 1763. Salem, Massachusetts transferred their care of the monthly meeting to Uxbridge, Massachusetts in 1785. In 1799 the Bolton Society of Friends was set off as a separate meeting consisting of approximately 130 members.  In Land for the meeting house was donated by John Fry. It was located on the west side of the Berlin-Bolton road, not far from the Fry burying ground (p. 82) It was completed in 1796. During the August 1898 quarterly meeting, it was decided to start the custom of having a public dinner at Arthur V. Wheeler’s home. This was so families would not have to travel home to eat and then return for the business meeting. Arthur’s home was closest to the Meeting House. Mr. Francis Holder felt sorry for the horses having to be outside during these long meetings, so in 1899 he donated money for a barn to be built. A “First Day School” (Sunday School) was established in approximately 1856. The first superintendent, secretary, and treasurer was Jesse B. Wheeler. The first teachers were David Babcock, Amos W. Collins, Reuben A. Wheeler, Henry E. Babcock, and Roena Wheeler. Society of Friends clerks who served for long periods were Thomas Fry - two ten year terms, John E. Fry - fifteen years, and Nathan Babcock - more than 50 years.

Unfortunately over the years, attendance dwindled. So, on 28 Feb 1931, the Quakers, along with the Baptist Church and the First Parish Church, united to form a Federated Church. According to my father, William Wry, the Quakers did have to attend the yearly Quaker Meeting in order to remain Quakers. In 1952 the Bolton Society of Friends deeded their Meeting House to Old Sturbridge Village. It was moved to Old Sturbridge Village in 1953. When the Meeting House was being disassembled each board was numbered so they knew in what order to put the Meeting House back together. My grandfather, Ernest Eldon Wry, was one of the men that helped to disassemble and move the Meeting House to Old Sturbridge Village. Before the Meeting House was moved to old Sturbridge Village, the Bolton Quakers had made some modifications. They had added a middle section where the members sat during the service. They also had two entrances, one for the men and one for the women. When the Meeting House was restored in Old Sturbridge Village, the center section was removed and only one entrance was left as Old Sturbridge Village wanted it to be as the original Meeting House was.

The Friends Meeting House was located in the northeast corner of the intersection of Fry Road and Quaker Lane. Quaker Lane was created when Wheeler Road was cut off with the construction of Interstate 495 in 1967, making it a dead end. The building was facing Fry Road but did not have an address. A house now sits on the site with stone walls on the property that date back to the meeting house.