Background
Hubberthorne was born in Lancashire, the only son of a yeoman and his wife.
Hubberthorne was born in Lancashire, the only son of a yeoman and his wife.
His childhood is reminiscent of Fox"s – Edward Burrough describes him as being "inclinable from his youth upwards to Religion and to the best way, always minding the best things," though unlike the headstrong young George, his disposition was "meek and lowly," and he "loved peace among men". However, around age 20 he joined the army and fought in the English Civil War, which Burrough reports without obvious disapproval. The Seekers were already close to a number of "Quaker" positions and practices: their official minister refused to accept payment from the compulsory tithes, for example, and after he left the group held some of their meetings in silence.
But the spark that lit a fire under the Westmorland Seekers was the arrival of George Fox in June 1652.
Burrough, who was also one of them, recounts Hubberthorne’s conversion experience in this way: And when it pleased the Lord God everlasting to raise us up to be a People in the North parts, … This same Person was one among the first of us whose heart the Lord touched with the sense of his Power and Kingdom. And amongst us he had the mighty operation of the Power of God experienced in his heart.
Great afflictions and tribulations for many weeks was he exercised in … he was in that state, and while therein exercised for many days, a wonder to all that beheld him, as one passing out of the body, as one under the deep sense of the hand of the Lord, under the operation of his Power. Thus it was with many of us, and particularly with him ….