Hannah Salter hath been with the King and Leighboured much in thy Cause and J haue been prety much with the parliment and haue giuen them prety many Bookes and spoken prety much to them. We haue giuen yᵉ parliment above 200 of the Reighnment of Popery[132] besids many other good Bookes, J beleiue to the worth of 20ˡⁱ and they tooke them uery well, but what they will do to us more J Know not.
J haue A great desier to see thee Jf thou could but Come to thy husband before hee goe so the Lord giue thee some Liberty that thou may see him, and it would make my hart glad. J know nothing but J may goe with him it hath been much on mee to goe a great while and to doe yᵉ best that Js Required for him. One Letter haue J written to thy Sons wife and J desire thou may see it ouer, that Jf there bee any thing in it yᵗ is Amisse thou maist mend it, for it ware much on mee to write it, and so at present J haue no more but my Loue to thee and thy daughters and friends for J am in hast to goe up againe to the parlement and so farwell my dearly beloued friend which art in the Power of Truth, god blessed for euer.
Eliz: Hooton.
Hannah Salter hath some hopes yᵗ the Buisinesse will bee effected shee would not leaue yᵉ King till he had Granted what was required and his Counscill with him promised her yᵗ it should be done Soe shee goes to him againe yᵉ second day to haue it written & sealed soe J hope it will be done in gods tyme, yᵗ wee may all praise his holy name for his mercy towards thee & towards vs. Soe J end farewell, deare Margrett.
From the above letter we obtain an insight into Elizabeth Hooton’s activities in the year 1670. On the 15th January, 1670, Friends in Nottinghamshire appealed to King and Parliament for the relief of their sufferings, and among the Appellants are Elizabeth Hooton and Elizabeth Hooton, Junr.[133] The latter was, probably, the wife of Samuel, become Hooton only a month or two before.
In these days, when we are constantly reminding those outside our Society of the acknowledgment by our early Friends of the spiritual equality of men and women, it is extremely interesting to note that women were frequently engaged in and actually did carry through negotiations of a very delicate and decidedly secular character. This is proved by George Fox’s account of his wife’s release from Lancaster Castle, which took place in April, 1671; he says:[134]
I was moved to speak to Martha Fisher[135] and another woman Friend, to go to the King about her liberty. They went in faith, and in the Lord’s power, who gave them favour with the King, so that he granted a discharge under the broad-seal, to clear both her and her estate, after she had been ten years a prisoner and premunired; the like wherof [of such discharge] was scarcely to be heard in England.
John Rous, writing to his mother-in-law, Margaret Fox, gives a more detailed account of the proceedings attendant on her release, in a letter dated 4th of April, 1671; he says:[136]
Last 6ᵗʰ day yᵉ two women tooke the grant out of the Attourney Generals office, & he gave yᵐ his fee, wᶜʰ should have been 5ˡⁱ, & his clerke tooke but 20ˢ, wheras his fee was 40ˢ. Yesterday they went with it to yᵉ King who signed it in the Counsell & Arlington[137] also signed it but would take noe fees, wheras his fees would have been 12ˡⁱ or 20ˡⁱ, neither would Williamsons[138] man take any thing saying yᵗ if any religion were true, it is ours, tomorrow it is to passe yᵉ Signet; & on 6ᵗʰ day, the privy seale, & afterwards the broad Seale wᶜʰ may be done on any day. The power of the Lord hath bowed their hearts wonderfully.
Margaret Fox, after her release from Lancaster, returned to Swarthmoor for a brief period; she then joined George Fox in London for the Yearly Meeting of 1671, and afterwards remained with him, until, three months later, 13th August, he and his little company of twelve set sail “towards America and some of the Isles thereunto belonging.” Elizabeth Hooton and Elizabeth Miers[139] were the only women included in the party.