Godalming Quakers History

In 1698 Caleb Woods, a maltster of Godalming, bought the Mill House. Four years later he is recorded as having bought the “tenement with the curtillage, barn, gate room, garden and orchard” known as Goreways. In 1701 another Quaker, John Cooper, collected money for a meeting house and handed this to Caleb Woods. In Caleb’s will, made in 1711, mention is made of the “new repaired and new built” other part of his property, so Quakers appear to have taken over two buildings on Celeb’s land rather than build an entirely new meeting house.

It seems that Quakers were already using the premises by 1711 because the first recorded burial is of “Jane Chandler of Brambley” in 1709. Altogether some 200 Friends are buried in the front and rear gardens. The few stones that are now around the walls of the rear garden are very plain and simply state the name, date of death and age. As Quakers believe that all are equal in the sight of God, it was considered fitting that stones should be plain and simple so that there would be no distinction between rich and poor.