Thomas Camm (1641 - 1708)

Born 1641 in Camsgill, Westmorland, England

Husband of Anne (Newby) Camm — married 30 May 1666 in Cams-gill, Westmorland, England

Died 18 Jan 1708 at about age 67 in Camsgill, Preston Patrick, Westmorland, England

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Biography

Thomas was a Friend (Quaker)

Thomas Camm was born in 1641, the son of John Camm, and was among the group of early Quaker leaders and preachers known as the Valiant Sixty.^[1] His mother Mabel's maiden name is unknown. Thomas described his father as father of both the flesh and the spiritual and wrote that, "his tender care was great for the education of me."^[2] John was raised in the Quaker faith and early on became a Quaker minister.^[3] Thomas has been variously described as a man of 'great humility'^[4] with a 'kind and gentle disposition.'^[1]

He married Valiant Sixty member Ann (Newby) Audland on 30 May 1666 at Camsgill, Westmorland, England, the widow of Valiant Sixty member John Audland.^[5]

Like many early Quakers, Thomas suffered multiple imprisonments and extraordinary persecution. His incarcerations included 1660 at Lancashire; 1674 at Kendal for three years; and six years at Appleby gaol. There were numerous distraints upon his goods, one of the most severe being for preaching at a meeting at Ackmonthwaite in 1678, for which he lost nine cattle and fifty-five sheep, worth over £31. Later in Westmorland, in 1690, he paid over £20 relating to tithes of corn.^[6][7]

One of the early breakaway groups among the Quakers was led by John Wilkinson and John Story. A testimony recorded in the Kendal monthly meeting minute book appears to show Camm also flirting with separation in 1677. However, Thomas had a change of mind and penned one of at least 44 tracts or pamphlets written against Wilkinson and Story, his 1684 work The Line of Truth and True Judgment.^[8]

Among the other works in Thomas Camm's prodigious output are The Admirable and Glorious Appearance of the Eternal God in his Glorious Power in and Through a Child (1684) written following the death of his daughter Sarah; Thomas Camm's testimony concerning John Camm and John Audland, in The Memory of the Righteous Revived (1689),^[2]; Testimony Concerning Margaret Fox (1706); A testimony to the fulfilling promise of God relating to such women, who through the pouring out of God's spirit upon them, are become prophetesses (1689). In the later works An Old Apostate Justly Exposed (1698)^[9] Truth Prevailing with Reason (1706),^[10] and A Lying Tongue Reproved (1708)^[11] he defended Quakerism against Henry Winder, who claimed to have once been a Quaker.

Thomas continued his ministry into advanced age and passed away 13 Mar 1708 and was buried 16 Mar 1708. His place of burial is seen both as Park End, Preston Patrick^[6] and Camsgill, Preston Patrick, Westmorland.^[12]

Children^[13]

• Mary b 17 Sep 1669
• Sarah b 29 Sep 1673, d Sep 1682

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Ed. Evans & Evans, A Memoir of Thomas Camm, The Friends Library, Rakestraw, Philadelphia, 1837 Vol I:479-81
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Camm, John, The memory of the righteous revived:..., London, Andrew Sowle, 1689, unnumbered pages.
3. ↑ McClintock, Joseph, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, New York, Harper & Bros, 1882, Vol XXI:751
4. ↑ John Tomkins, Piety promoted, in a collection of dying sayings of many of the people called Quakers : with a brief account of some of their labours in the Gospel, and sufferings for the same (ed. Evans, William, 1787-1867., Evans, Thomas, 1798-1868., Townsend, William P, Townsend, Anna Mary), Philadelphia, 1721,
5. ↑ Society of Friends' Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials. Records of the General Register Office, Government Social Survey Department, and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, RG 6. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England. Piece 1568: Monthly Meeting of Kendal: Register Book for Preston: Marriages (1660-1809); and Piece 1246: Quarterly Meeting of Westmorland (1649-1778)
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
7. ↑ Joseph, Besse, A collection of the sufferings of the people called Quaker, London, 1753, Vol II: 19, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30, 36
8. ↑ Camme [sic], Thomas, The Line of Truth and True Judgment, London, John Bringhurst, 1684.
9. ↑ Camm, Thomas, An Old Apostate Justly Exposed, London, Sowle, 1682
10. ↑ Camm, Thomas, Truth Prevalinging with Reason, London, Sowle, 1706
11. ↑ Camm, Thomas, A Lying Tongue Reproved, London, Sowle, 1708
12. ↑ Society of Friends' Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials. Records of the General Register Office, Government Social Survey Department, and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, RG 6. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England. Piece 1568: Monthly Meeting of Kendal: Register Book for Preston: Marriages (1660-1809)
13. ↑ Society of Friends' Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials. Records of the General Register Office, Government Social Survey Department, and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, RG 6. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England. Piece 1246: Quarterly Meeting of Westmorland (1649-1778)

See Also:

Braithwaite, W.C., The Second Period of Quakerism, McMillian, 1919.