Our Hobson family were peaceful [Quakers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaker) from the [county Armagh](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Armagh), Ireland, and whose involvement with the Society of Friends goes back to its arrival in Ireland from England during the mid 17th century. Quakers are a Christian religious group whose basic tenets promote peace, simplicity, integrity, community, equality, love, joy, and social justice. Theirs is an evangelical sect which believes in building a personal relationship with God, and as such do not build grand churches or have extensive clergy, as these are believed to distract from this goal. They are pacifists who refuse to swear oaths, and who believe in equal rights between races and sexes. They were staunchly anti-slavery at a time it was a part of British and American society, and have had women in the role of ministers centuries before other Christian religious groups allowed it. The first recorded Friends Meetings in Ireland were held in 1654 at the home of William Edmondson in Lurgan, county Armagh. Around the same time, the first gatherings also occurred at Ballyhagan, and a meeting house was set up there shortly afterward. Although initially persecuted and discriminated against, by the late 1600s worship had taken root and had spread to other regions. [](https://www.bretz.ca/GenWeb/html/bretz/narratives/9/History%20of%20Quakers%200.JPG "History of Quakers in Ireland, 1851")A family book called the _[History of the Rise and Progress of the People Called Quakers in Ireland](http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofrisepro00wighiala#page/n7/mode/2up)_ has been passed down and is now in the care of Cory Bretz. The book is signed by a Fred Hobson and and Charles Wright and dated 1903. It was printed in 1751. It is thought that [Fred Hobson](http://www.bretz.ca/GenWeb/TNG/getperson.php?personID=I5338&tree=tree1) was Annie Hobson's (our Alice's sister) second husband. In this book there is mention of a Francis and Lawrence Hobson at a Meeting in Charlemont (near Moy) in 1655, among the first Hobsons on record to be converted to Friends. Unfortunately it is not known how these individuals relate to our branch of the family. # Francis Hobson (1620-1675) Francis Hobson converted to the Quaker religion around 1655. He was a martyr for the Quaker faith. 1665 - "Francis Hobson, being sued for tythes in the Primate's Temporal Court at Ardmagh, by the said Priest, had five cows and a bull taken from him worth £9." 1665 - "Francis Hobson, being sued for tythes in the Primate's Temporal Court at Ardmagh, by George Walker, Priest, had as many cattle taken from him as were worth £7.10s." In the years 1665, 1666, 1667, 1668, and 1669, the following persons had goods (excessively) taken from them for the repair of Kilmore Parish worship-house: Francis Hobson had yarn, bedclothes, etc., taken from him worth £3.5s.0d. 1673 - He was sent to prison for refusing to pay the parish tax and died there in 1675[[1]](https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hobson-4900#_note-0), as noted in the following record: - 1673 - " Francis Hobson, was sued in the Bishop's Court at Ardmagh for £2 tythes of milch-money, by George Walker, Priest, and by warrant from two Justices of the Peace, upon a definitive sentence, was taken by David Mulligan Constable, the 2nd day of sixth month, and committed to the gaol of Ardmagh, and was prisoner two years and four month, and about 13th of the tenth month 1675 died in said gaol.”[[](https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hobson-4900#_note-1) https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAEScwHrOzAVPPFpa-awl5VwbDTZXmf3E4OK6tqjhSoOZbdt8PJ_cj7JOgJbKAHwKkk1fcqPhQEjYC_ovxOBLTUOs6_iIF_YvJjPF2lXn_VudIv5QzQS3Ijampqpht-cOZRID3rKhmtTAc2t8tn9TkBIx4WCyf0 # Francis Hobson (1673-?) 8 Dec 1692 - **Francis Hobson** (as well as Laurence, Thomas, William, Mary, Christofer, and James Hobson) was a witness at the marriage of John Porter of Lurgan and Mary Boys of Drumilly.[[3]](https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hobson-4899#_note-2) 5 Oct 1694 - **Francis Hobson** was a witness at the marriage of James Ker of Queens Island and Sarah Hall of Ballyhagan. 1 Aug 1698 - Lease from Joshua Archer of Tullygarden, Co. Armagh, to **Francis Hobson** of Drumilly, Co. Armagh, of land at Cavan, Co. Armagh. (Ref: NLI: Ms 33,690/C, Coll. Ms.)[[4]](https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hobson-4899#_note-3) 1701 - "**Francis Hobson** & William Gray is appointed by this meeting to draw up so many copys of a minute concerning the Education of youth Contained in an Epistle from a halfe years meeting ... 1701 as will answer the families of friends belonging to this meeting that their (circumstances?) requires - William Gray is desired to record the generall minute approved of by a ... meeting the 3d mo: 1703." 1711 - "Its concluded by this meeting that William Gray & **Francis Hobson** doe draw up a paper by way of Testimoney against the actions of Hanagh Mckittrick formarly Stevenson shee having taken in mariage a husband after a Clandeston maner without consent or knowledge of her parrants which is altogether Inconsistant with our holy profession for Children to dispose of themselves in maraige without parrants consent." Jan 1706 - **Francis Hobson** was a witness at the marriage of Thomas Whinnery of Kilmore and Kettrin (Catherine) Smith of Ballyhagan.[[5]](https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hobson-4899#_note-4) He appears in numerous records between the above dates and on into 1717. 1717 - At a men's meeting held at Ballyhagan - "This meeting is Given to understand that since the decease of our friend William Stevenson some things hath fallen out that seemes to be disorderly betwixt John Stevenson & William Mason also some other things to be Inspected into Therfore we disiere William brownloe James Stevenson John Abernathy & **Francis Hobson** to go and see how matters stands and if out of order to have them Regulated if they can and in particular advise William Mason about his father in law Wm Stevenson (apprintice)."