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Despite the wealth of local studies on the history of Quakerism during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, little attention has been paid to the largest single Quaker community of the period, namely that of the City and suburbs of London. This article seeks to redress this situation, and draws wider conclusions concerning the reaction of Londoners to the presence of religious diversity in the capital. The first section considers the strains placed upon parochial life by the enforcement of legislation against religious nonconformists prior to the toleration of 1689. The second section of the article goes on to explore the role played by Quakers in parish government in City parishes with a significant Quaker population. The analysis identifies the extent to which Quakers were tolerated within their local communities, and played an active role in parish life. The article concludes that whilst tensions existed between Quakers and their neighbours during the period covered, ultimately they were respected and valued members of London communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws attention to a little known and rarely used historical source, the diary of the early eighteenth-century London Friend Peter Briggins. Four areas of Briggins' life are examined: his business, religious, family and leisure activities. It is suggested that the examination of sources such as diaries and personal correspondence can shed new light on the nature of seventeenth and early eighteenth-century Quakerism. In particular, such material can enable the development of a more subtle picture of the relationships that existed between Friends and the communities in which they lived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]