Step into the hushed sanctuary of the Religious Society of Friends Meeting House. Right here on the corner of Jesus Lane and Park Street stands this unassuming building. Its history however is far from quiet.
For centuries this site has echoed with the voices of the Quakers. The Religious Society of Friends. Their presence in Cambridge dates back to at least 1659. That’s when they rented a house near Sidney Sussex College for their meetings. Ann Docwra a generous benefactor gifted several houses on Jesus Lane in 1700. One became the Meeting House. Another a cottage for her use. A burial ground already existed there.
The current building you see before you is much younger. It was built between 1776 and 1777. It sits directly over the former burial ground. A fact that led to problems later. Interestingly the building’s construction took place over a historic Civil War defence known as the King’s Ditch.
The Religious Society of Friends Meeting House wasn’t always a place of worship. For many years it was used for other purposes. A school run on Joseph Lancaster’s innovative educational principles occupied the building for about ten years. Later it housed a Sunday school and even Cambridge’s first Free Library. The library was housed there from 1855 until 1862.
The Quaker Meeting in Cambridge was ‘laid down’ or discontinued for a time. From 1795 to 1884. But then the Quaker community in Cambridge grew. The Meeting House was revived. It was then that the shortcomings of the building became apparent. The foundations were inadequate. The weight of the building and the presence of the King’s Ditch beneath posed a threat.
Extensive repairs took place between 1894 and 1895. The foundations were strengthened. The building’s shape was altered. During these renovations human skeletons were uncovered. A local historian noted the interesting coincidence of their discovery on a former Quaker burial ground. The bones were initially believed to be from a prehistoric tribe.
The Meeting House continued to evolve. Architect Fred Rowntree proposed an extension in 1919. This involved acquiring the adjacent Taylor’s Arms public house. A local Quaker Caroline Stephen played a pivotal role in this acquisition. A fire in 1949 damaged the building. It was repaired and reopened in 1950. Further alterations occurred in the 1960s. A new entrance block was built.
Today the Religious Society of Friends Meeting House complex includes three buildings. They are all interconnected. The historic Meeting House the 1969 entrance block and the former public house. The building boasts a Meeting Room. An Ann Docwra Room. A library and even a warden’s flat. The Meeting House remains an active space. A centre for worship community gatherings and a quiet testament to Cambridge’s rich and layered history.