inspired by the slave trade

I was helping to re-frame the Quaker tapestries again today. It is a wonderful opportunity to marvel at the stitching and ponder over the message behind the picture. Today I worked on the panel which illustrates Quakers and the abolition of the slave trade. Quakers themselves had been involved in the trade, so were very directly involved with the reforms.

This detail shows Elder Isaac Sharples speaking at the yearly meeting in Gracechurch Street when it was hoped that the slave trade might be 'utterly abolished'. I was puzzled as to why Isaac Sharples had hung up his hat and have been given two explanations:

The first is that it was customary to take off one's hat whilst ministering to the Meeting so that the speaker's voice would not be muffled by the hat. The second explanation relates to the fact that early Quakers refused to take off their hats to the gentry considering all people to be equal in the sight of God. Therefore it follows that when speaking of God, true deference should be given, and the hat removed.

I am intrigued. I will have to get to the bottom of this one.