Dale Hess, Victoria Regional Meeting. This is the story of
Stephen Hobhouse (1881 – 1961), who became one of the most
respected English Quakers of the twentieth century. Stephen’s
leadings emerged slowly. He was born into a wealthy family. His
father, Henry Hobhouse V, was the squire at Hadspen House, a
large manor-farm and mansion with 1,717 acres. Henry had a
distinguished career in Parliament as a Liberal or Liberal-
Unionist, and served as Chair of the Somerset County Council and
its Education Committee. His mother, Margaret, was the sister of
the famous social reformer, Beatrice Webb. There were seven
children in the family, but Stephen remained aloof from his
siblings, in part because he struggled with ill-health all of
his life. He had an enlarged heart, which made him very frail,
and he suffered from dyspepsia and nervous breakdowns. He
received a sound classical education at Eton and the University
of Oxford. Although frail, he was a keen participant in cadets
at Eton and the University Rifle Voluntee