Gurney family (Norwich)

In the 17th century, John Gurney (1655–1721) left his home town of Maldon for Norwich to live and work among the Quakers of the city.

He died as a wealthy man in 1721, and was buried in "the old Dutch garden that the Friends had bought as their burial ground, the Gildencroft or Buttercup Field", on the land Gurney had received to tend when he first arrived in Norwich.

[5] The Quaker bank became renowned for its honesty, reliability and fair dealings, so that many people entrusted it with their money for safekeeping.

[citation needed] Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, a staunch advocate of the abolition of slavery and the reform movement, was a regular guest at Earlham Hall in the 1790s, as was fellow abolitionist Amelia Opie whose husband John had painted the Duke's portrait.

Louisa and Richenda Gurney wrote glowing accounts of the Duke in their journals, describing him as sociable and agreeable.

[9] He resided at Keswick Hall near Norwich and in St James's Square, London, but stayed childless.

John Gurney (1749–1809) and his wife lived at Earlham Hall in Norwich, which they rented from the Bacon family.

Besides managing his banking business, Daniel Gurney served as High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1853 and took an interest in archaeology and genealogy.

Daniel Gurney was married to a daughter of William Hay, 17th Earl of Erroll, and lived near North Runcton, Norfolk.

Earlham Hall, in Norwich, was rented from the Bacon family and served as the residence of John Gurney (1749–1809) and the childhood home of his daughter Elizabeth Fry.

[citation needed] Northrepps Hall is a large manor house near Cromer, Norfolk, occupied by the same family for more than eight generations.

Notable are Thomas Fowell Buxton, of slave emancipation fame, and Elizabeth Fry, the social reformer.