George Whitehead (1636–1723) was a leading early Quaker preacher, author and lobbyist remembered for his advocacy of religious freedom before three kings of England.
[3] After a year of preaching in southern England, Whitehead became known as one of the Valiant Sixty who travelled as Quaker preachers during a time of religious persecution.
While he was visiting St Peter's Church in Norwich,[5] Whitehead addressed a gathering upon the conclusion of the service and was subsequently jailed by the mayor for disseminating an unorthodox opinion about baptism.
In 1661, he was persuaded to join a group of Friends appearing before the House of Commons to argue against the passing of the Act of Uniformity.
It called for the release of 490 persons from English jails, among them John Bunyan who would go on to be one of Whitehead's greatest public critics.
[7] In 1689 Whitehead led a group of men before King William III to plead for a continuation of pardons and rights for the religiously persecuted.
[4] Of this meeting Whitehead said: This resulted under the reign of King William a first step in obtaining liberty by law to enjoy our religious meetings for the worship of God peaceably, without molestation or disturbance by informers or other persons, yet many of our friends remained prisoners, and under prosecution by priests and magistrates, for non-payment of tithes, and kept them detained in prison, chiefly on contempts, as their term is for not swearing upon oath to the priests' bills and complaints.