THEY are a religious society of friends formed in England during the 1650s.

Now after more than two centuries Romsey has its own Quaker meeting again.

Quakers -founded by George Fox following the English Civil War - integrate religion with everyday life and don't have churches or priests to conduct services.

Until recently the newly-formed Romsey Worshipping Group attended the Quakers Southampton Meeting House at purpose-built premises in Ordnance Road in the city.

Both the Romsey and Southampton meeting groups come under the umbrella of the Hampshire and Islands Quakers and the area covered by the movement includes the county itself along with the Channel Islands.

Romsey Worshipping Group meets up for "social conversation" once a month at Carers Together premises in the town's Love Lane.

And a founder member of the group Mike Perks believes Love Lane is the apt name for the Quaker worship held there.

Mr Perks, said “It’s probably a slight exaggeration to say that there have been no Quakers meeting in the Romsey area since 1800 but as far as we know there have only been small gatherings in people’s homes. This seems to be first time since then that there has been an on-going meeting in a public place.”

He added that there are currently about 17 in the Romsey group and the meetings are held on the second Sunday of each month, between 10.45am and 11.45am, and are open to everyone.

"A Quaker Meeting was formed in Romsey in 1668. It appears that the community of Quakers was not large and perhaps not very lively," said Mr Perk, adding that a Quaker meeting house was built in the town just over a century later but no one knows exactly where it was.

The Romsey Meeting House was sold around 1795 and Quakers seem to have pretty much disappeared from the town early in the 19th century.

Mr Perks believes the present day Quakers are continuing the movements historic tradition.

“It does feel that we are following in the footsteps of those early Quakers. We are working at 'giving notice to the neighbourhood'. We already have an established group and we are all very much alive. Quaker Meetings are often appreciated by those who have spiritual promptings but find it difficult or impossible to accept specific religious beliefs or dogma. In our Meetings, which are grounded in silence, we seek to connect with each other and with that essential spirit which lies beyond the material world and which some call God. Everyone is welcome at our meetings and everyone is welcome to speak if what they say comes from the heart.”

Mr Perks pointed out that members of the Romsey Worshipping meeting come from the town and surrounding area.

For more information about the Romsey Meeting email Alison Perks at alisonperks@phonecoop.coop or phone her on 01794 521905.