Sarah Cheevers Born
Sarah Cheevers was born in England; details of her birthplace and family are sparse.
KE&SC
d. 1692 / 1608–1664 · Unknown / England
Katharine Evans & Sarah Cheevers
Missionary Friends Imprisoned by the Inquisition
“We are not careful to answer thee in this matter; the Lord is our judge, and he will plead our cause.” — Katharine Evans & Sarah Cheevers
Life & Ministry
Voyage toward the Levant
Katharine Evans and Sarah Cheevers sailed from England together, intending to carry the Quaker message toward Alexandria.
Arrest at Malta
Their ship stopped at Malta for provisions. The two Friends were detained by Catholic authorities and committed to prison by the Inquisition.
Writing from Prison
Denied liberty and examined under pressure, Evans and Cheevers wrote letters and kept a record of their sufferings, addressed to Friends in England and to English officials.
A Short Relation of a Long Banishment
Their captivity narrative was published in London, giving English readers a vivid first-hand account of Inquisition imprisonment and the witness of Quaker women missionaries.
Death of Sarah Cheevers
Sarah Cheevers died in England, worn out by the sufferings of her imprisonment and travels.
Death of Katharine Evans
Katharine Evans died, having continued in faithful service and testimony after her release from Malta.
Connections & Relationships
George Fox
ContemporaryEvans and Cheevers were part of the generation of traveling Quaker ministers raised up in the wake of Fox's preaching. Their mission extended the Society's reach beyond England and into the Mediterranean world.
Mary Fisher
Fellow Traveling MinisterLike Evans and Cheevers, Mary Fisher undertook dangerous overseas Quaker missions, including her famous journey to Constantinople.
Margaret Fell
Fellow Defender of Women's MinistryFell's 'Women's Speaking Justified' defended the public ministry of Quaker women. Evans and Cheevers' missionary imprisonment gave living proof of women's prophetic courage.
Available Works
A Short Relation of a Long Banishment
ProposedPublished in 1662, this is the captivity narrative of Katharine Evans and Sarah Cheevers during their imprisonment by the Inquisition at Malta (1658–1663) — a vivid, often harrowing testimony to Quaker women's courage on a foreign mission.