Friends Meeting House

1831 Land Purchase. In 1831 land was purchased from Abraham Scales  1782-1868 for a Meeting House and Burial Ground.[1]

1833 Archaeological Data Service – Present Friends Meeting House built in 1833. [2]

1839 June 11th Marriage at Meeting House. On Tuesday 11th of June at the Friends Meeting House Pakefield Suffolk R. E. Greenwood of Halstead, Essex, was married to Ann, only daughter of the late William Kirbell Youell of Southtown, Yarmouth.[3]

1847 Pakefield Tithe Award – listed as number 47 on tithe map. Owned by Abraham Scales, Quaker Chapel and burial ground. [4] (He appears to have retained ownership as a trustee).

1851 March 30th – Census of Religious Worship. Friend’s Meeting House. Altered to Meeting House about 1826. Space for worship, floor 428 square feet. Seating capacity about 110. Worshippers present: Morning 9 Afternoon 7 signed: Abraham Scales.[5]

1853 Land Grant. In 1853 an extra piece of land and a passage at the side was granted to the Pakefield Society of Friends by Abraham Scales to enlarge the Meeting House and burial ground.[6]

1861 June 7th – Report in “The Friend”. Small meeting; three Friends only. Two who are elderly, one of them in poor health, which prevents him from attending. In winter one Friend attends alone.[7]

1868 December 6th – Burial of Abraham Scales. This highly esteemed gentleman, who was a member of the Society of Friends, and whose family has resided in Pakefield for upwards of 300 years, died on the 1st December in 87th year of his age. The deceased was the last who bore the family name. He was buried in the Friend’s burial ground at Pakefield on Sunday 6th. There was a large number of friends and of the public present, thus testifying their respect for the memory of the deceased. Mr Josiah Brown, of Norwich, delivered an address at the grave. The deceased was kind and charitable, and greatly beloved by the poor, who have lost a kind friend; and he was greatly respected by a large circle of private friends, and by all who knew him.[8]

1868 December 15 Will of Abraham Scales. Abraham left £100 (£11,000 in 2025) to the Norwich Monthly Meeting for the use of the Pakefield Friends’ Meeting House.[9]

1876 January 6th – Band of Hope. On Monday evening a public meeting was held at the Friends Meeting House, Pakefield, Mr A.K. Matcham presiding. Singing and recitations were given by the children with good effect, reflecting great credit on their kind teacher, W.H. Norton, Esquire, he manifested great interest in the cause, and by his liberality makes weekly meetings attractive and instructive. The room was tastefully decorated with suitable mottos, banners, etc. A vote of thanks was heartily accorded to the chairman.[10]

1876  July 24th - Burial of W. H. Norton. The Interment of remains of W.H. Norton took place on Saturday in the graveyard of the Friends Meeting House, Pakefield. The deceased was of a Quaker family, and the funeral service was, in its general character, conducted after the manner of the Friends. The coffin, uncovered, was carried by bearers and placed over the grave. The widow, the father of the deceased, and several Quaker relatives, the Rev. Lewis Price, rector of the parish, Rev. E. Blake, Primitive Methodist, and Mr L. Wren, formed the mourning cortege. The mourners having stood round the grave in meditation several minutes, the silence was broken by the Rev. H. Blake, who delivered an address, solemn in its style, yet full of Christian encouragement. When Mr Blake finished, another pause ensued, which was followed by an address by the Rev. L. Price (the rector of the parish). The coffin was lowered into the grave amid deep silence, followed by prayer by the Rev. Blake.[11]

1880 February 17th – Tea for Poor Mothers. For some months there has been a small association of ladies who have interested themselves in the welfare of poor mothers in the village of Pakefield, and on Tuesday, through the liberality of Mrs Larkins, Mrs Norton, and others, the mothers with their husbands were entertained to a “knife and fork” tea in the Friends Meeting House, Pakefield. The party numbered about 60, and after tea an address and a reading were given by the Rev. G .Lowndes of the Free Methodist Church, Lowestoft. A reading was given by Mr L. Wren, and a recitation by Mr J.D. Carter, organist, Lowestoft. W. Warman, Esq., also took part in the interesting proceedings. A vote of thanks was accorded to the ladies who provide the tea.[12]

1883 February 14th – Meat Tea. A very pleasant evening was spent on Wednesday, the 14th, in the Friends Meeting House, where a bountiful meat tea was provided by Mrs W.H. Norton, to which about sixty sat down, including fishermen and wives. After tea presentations, readings, and addresses were given and all present thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Proceedings closed with singing and prayer.[13]

1886 March 9th – Magic Lantern Evening. On Tuesday evening about 100 of the older scholars of the congregational Sunday school were invited to a magic Lantern entertainment at the friends meeting house, kindly provided by Mrs Norton and Mrs Lesley. Before leaving each of the children was presented with an orange and a large bun by the above ladies full stop on Wednesday the entertainment was repeated, when the junior scholars and their parents were invited.[14]

1896 February 12th - Friend’s First Day Adult School - the junior division of this school held their first annual meeting on February the 12th. The report showed 110 children upon the register, with an average attendance of 69. This school is making rapid progress, and greatly needs better accommodation. It is hoped that much good may result from the efforts of the officers and teachers. On Wednesday 26th  a distribution of useful garments among the children took place. Through the kindness and liberality of Mrs E. E. Johnson, High Bank, Mrs Harrison, Manor House, and other friends, materials were given and a band of willing workers made them. Mrs W. H. Norton kindly gave buns and oranges. Mrs Harrison also sent oranges, each child receiving one of each. The teachers desire to thank all those who should kindly contributed to encourage their children to attend regularly.[15]

1898 August 7th – Burial of Mrs Hannah Norton. The funeral took place in the burial ground attached to the friends meeting house Pakefield Street at 3PM. Mrs Norton came to Pakefield from Woodbridge some 25 years ago. The deceased lady had been confined to her bed for a considerable time and died on Wednesday at her residence oak cottage Pakefield at the age of 72 years surviving her sister Mrs Susanna Lesley by only a few weeks. Mrs Norton was a prominent member of the Society of Friends, and her financial support was invariably to be relied on in the promotion of its welfare.[16]

1966 closure of Meeting House. The Meeting House closed in 1966. [17]

1985 Reopening of Meeting House. The Meeting House was restored and reopened in 1985.[18]

[1] Norfolk Record Office, “The Record of the Society of Friends in Norfolk.” 

[2] Architectural History Practice Ltd. (2014). Friends Meeting House, Pakefield, historic building record. Archaeology Data Service. https://doi.org/10.5284/1037394

[3] “Married,” Essex and Herts Mercury (Colchester), 18 June 1839, P4 Col 1; image copy, British Newspaper Archive(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk : accessed 22 May 2025), British Library.

[4] 1847 Pakefield Tithe Award and Map. Held at the Suffolk Archive Centre. Accessed 25th April 2025.

[5] Suffolk Records Society, Suffolk Returns From the Census of Religious Worship of 1851, Martlesham: Boydell and Brewer, 1997.

[6] Norfolk Record Office, “The Record of the Society of Friends in Norfolk.”

[7] A Bennett, ed., The Friend (London: A.W. Bennett, 1861), 154; digital images, Google Books (https://www.google.co.uk/books : accessed 22 May 2025).

[8] “The Late Mr Abraham Scales,” Lowestoft Journal (Lowestoft), 12 December 1868, P7 Col 5; image copy, British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk : accessed 22 May 2025), British Library.

[9] “England and Wales National Probate Calendar 1858 - 1966,” database with images, GOV.UK Find a Will(https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/ : accessed 23 May 2025), entry for Abraham Scales, died 01 December 1868, proved 1868; citing Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England, Principal Probate Registry, London, England. 

[10] “Band of Hope,” Norfolk News (Norwich), 8 January 1876, P9 Col 1; image copy, British Newspaper Archive(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk : accessed 22 May 2025), British Library.

[11] After the manner of the Friends,

[12] “Mothers,” Eastern Daily Press (Norwich), 19 February 1880, P3 Col 2; image copy, British Newspaper Archive(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk : accessed 22 May 2025), British Library.

[13] “Meat Tea,” Lowestoft Journal (Lowestoft), 24 February 1883, P8 Col 1; image copy, British Newspaper Archive(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk : accessed 22 May 2025), British Library.

[14] “Magic Lantern Evening,” Lowestoft Journal (Lowestoft), 13 March 1886, P2 Col 8; image copy, British Newspaper Archive(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk : accessed 22 May 2025), British Library.

[15] “Friends First Day Adult School,” Lowestoft Journal (Lowestoft), 14 March 1896, P8 Col 1; image copy, British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk : accessed 22 May 2025), British Library.

[16] “Death of Mrs Norton of Pakefield,” Lowestoft Journal (Lowestoft), 06 August 1898, P5 Col 4; image copy, British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk : accessed 22 May 2025), British Library.

[17] Neil Burton, “Friends' Meeting House, Pakefield.,” p. 3; report to Quaker Heritage Project, 25 June 2014; Heritage.Quaker.org.uk, Online.

[18] Ibid.