Society of Friends, Marlborough

George Fox spoke at Marlborough to a group of Friends in 1656 and between 1656 and 1658 these Friends suffered imprisonment and public humiliation. In 1658 William Hitchcock gave land at Manton to the Friends and part of this was used as a burial ground. A little later a meeting house was built on this land. In 1727 a meeting house was certified in the High Street at Marlborough and in 1783 there were between 30 and 40 Friends. By the 1790s though the Meeting was in decline and it had dissolved by 1800. Friends continued to meet at each other's houses and also attended Meetings at Calne and Devizes. Friends began meeting again in the town from 1962 in various places in Marlborough and Pewsey. There is now a meeting house just off The Parade, alongside the former Congregational chapel.