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Heirs of Richard Baxter? The Society of Free Catholics, 1914–1928

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2007

ELAINE KAYE
Affiliation:
4 Fairlawn Flats, First Turn, Oxford OX2 8AP; e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The Society of Free Catholics was founded in 1914 by a small group of Unitarian ministers, who, inspired by Richard Baxter, James Martineau, F. D. Maurice and the Catholic Modernists, sought to combine historic Catholic sacramental and devotional practice with theological freedom, and to unite all Christians in a Free Christian Church. The members included Anglicans, Nonconformists and a few Roman Catholics. The two main leaders of the society were J. M. Lloyd Thomas of the old Meeting, Birmingham, and W. E. Orchard of the King's Weigh House, London. Their chief legacy was a series of prayer books for public worship.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2007 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

I am much indebted to Anthony Cross and the librarians of Harris Manchester College, Oxford, for help and advice in the preparation of this article. I also acknowledge the help of Elizabeth Barlow, Andrew Brown, Peter Bramall and Frank Walker.