One of the little details of Quaker practice that
is not completely unheard of outside of Quaker circles – though
that does not mean it is well-known – is our rejection of titles.
That is to say, we traditionally do not use such things as “Mr”,
“Mrs”, “Miss” etc., preferring to simply use names.
There are several reasons behind this. One is our
view of equality; especially in the society in which the Quaker
movement developed, a huge range of titles existed and reinforced the
expected structure of society, of social interactions, and of status.
Nobility was still considered important by many, and the titles of
right or of courtesy that went with them were often insisted on.
Titles and styles related to offices under the crown, such as “judge”
or “doctor” (usually for those who have achieved a certain degree
of study – academic doctors or doctors of divinity – rather than
physicians) were important, and people of standing who could claim
neither noble nor official title often sought a knighthood. Those
entitled to the style of “esquire”, not a general formal term as
it is now in the UK, nor a term conventionally restricted to certain
professions as it is now in the US, would often insist upon its use.
As such, the rejection of titles stands for a rejection of the formal
and conventional delineations of standing and status, as well as of
the forms that derive from them (such as the giving of hat-honour,
one of the most noted rejections of convention among early Friends).
