One of tenets of the Society of Friends is pacifism and this caused problems in the new colony going back to Samuel Carpenter. In 1709, the Pennsylvania Assembly voted to send £ 2000 instead of sending soldiers to fight against the French in Canada. Carpenter was treasurer at the time. The war ended before anything was done, though, so it was all forgotten until 1717 when Governor Keith requested payment from Carpenter’s estate. This payment consisted of turning over 1200 acres of Carpenter’s land – in Horsham. Keith later acquired this to be part of his Fountain Low Estate, later known as Graeme Park
The French and Indian War (1755-57) caused more conflict with the Quaker led Pennsylvania Assembly and pro-war groups. In 1760, Benjamin Holt, together with his neighbor John Lloyd, was dealt with by Horsham Friends for assisting in impressing horses for military service for Braddock’s Expedition to Fort Duquesne (Smith p 34) By the start of the American Revolution, beginning in 1775, many younger Quakers joined or supported the fight. This included Friends from the Horsham Meeting which admonished those who fought but did not read them out of meeting.
Later, by the time of the Civil War, the Horsham Meeting (although not all meetings) had come to accept that their members may be needed for military service. Robert Kenderdine, shown here, was one of those from Horsham Meeting who served for the Union in the Civil War. (Abby pp 32-35)