The Patchwork Boat

Elizabeth Fry was a Quaker woman who lived 200 years ago. She thought that even if people have done wrong, they should still be treated as people. This was a radical idea back then so she had to work very hard to change people’s minds and improve the lives of those in prison.

In this workshop we’ll hear the story of how Elizabeth championed the basic rights of women prisoners being transported to Australia. By providing each woman with a “bag of useful things” including material and thread, she enabled them to make quilts on the ships and so arrive in Australia with something to prove their skill and help find work. Then we'll try a simple quilting activity.

Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times in the workshop.

This event is hosted by Cambridge Quakers. To find out more about Quakers visit: quaker.org.uk/about-quakers