Genealogy Chat

Hello All, Have you discovered Quaker ancestors? Don't know how to research them?? Maybe I can help point you in the right direction!! For the absolute basics please read the first reply below and then ask me anything - I will endeavor to answer. Happy Hunting.....Sarah

If you have found Quaker ancestors - CONGRATULATIONS - and welcome to a wealth of family history information!! Quakers (or more correctly, members of the Religious Society of Friends) have kept excellent records regarding their membership since the movement was set up in the 1650's. Records of births (Quakers don't baptise their children), marriages and deaths were recorded at Quaker Meetings (their form of worship) from the very start. These BMD records are generally MUCH more detailed that C of E records. For instance, until 1850 almost all marriages were to another member of the society and were with parental consent, however old the bride or groom!! In most cases the names of all four parents were recorded at the marriage, plus occupation of the fathers and whether each parent was alive or dec'd. Burial records tend to state the age at death from the early 1700's and there's none of this 'buried widow Smith's child' to contend with! When Quakers moved from one area to another they would take a Removal and Settlement certificate to their new monthly meeting in order to be accepted there. A record would be made at the Friends' Meeting. If they were punished for a misdeamenor they might be 'disowned' by the Society and again this would be recorded at the Meeting. The Quarterly Meetings for any given area involved (amongst other things) gathering all the information recorded at local Meetings and compiling two copies of BMD's. These days one copy of the BMD records is held at the local County Record Office for the area and the other by the Quakers in London. Some information can be purchased in various formats in many cases from the local Family History Society. The bigest source of information is held at the Quaker Library at Euston Road in London. They do not provide a research service and I cannot speak from first-hand experience, as I have never been there: however, I know that it is a fantastic resource: Quakers were keen on writing biographies/obits of their members (esp during the 1800's). I have several long obits (three or four pages) for some ancestors and all were only 'ordinary' people! Any questions please ask here and I will reply on list, so others can read too. Happy Hunting Sarah

Hi Sarah, I would just like to say thank you for your post about the Quakers and all the infomation you included, i am just about to start on a branch of our family who were Quakers and i was a bit daunted by it , but thanks to your info i am not anymore. thanks kaz

Kaz, What area of the country were they from? (on the offchance that I have any resources!) Sarah

Hi Sarah, They are from northamptonshire. thanks kaz

Oh that's a shame - so near and yet so far!! I have quite a lot of records for Oxfordshire. Should you find any of your come to Banbury, which is right on the boarder, let me know! Good Luck Sarah

Apparently I have many quakers in my tree from Sussex ,Horsham and Warnham. Don't know how to start researching them as I'm in Cardiff Any advice Sarah. Kim

Hi Kim, You will need to contact the West Sussex CRO to see what Quaker Records they hold. Also the Sussex Family History Group, to see if they have any Quaker Records and if any are on sale or searchable from a distance! What time frame are we talking of for your family? Sarah

late 1700s /early 1800s the Dale and Hewell family were Quakers, later in Worthing, Sussex they were involved in the Salvation Army beginnings I think. Kim

The very best possible time frame from a family history point of view! It's really just a matter of finding the best way to access the data - I just looked on Genfair to see if anything for Quakers in Sussex is on there, but the SFHS don't seem to use that site. Am cooking kids tea and can smell burning...will be back later. Sarah

Kim, I've been looking at the publications listings for West Sussex on http://www.sfhg(.)org.uk/. (Remove Brackets) You need to be aware that you may not need to be looking for 'Quaker Horsham' or 'Quaker Warnham', but possibly Quaker Crawley! There would have been Meeting Houses in each of the towns you mention, but the records are often grouped together (into one run) and issued under the name of the largest town involved. This is good for the researcher as if your family moved around the area, their entries may still be recorded unter the same set of records. On the other hand, you need to be certain the area you want is included if you are going to buy any copies of records. Sarah

Hi Sarah, What a wonderful 'tip' I have done a lot of research on my Quaker family, they came from Surrey, just one thing that has always puzzle me, Why was my Sarah married in a C+E Church and on the same day, remarried in the Local Meeting house, this was 1789, I didn't think the Quakers allowed this, I thought they disowned people that married people from the Church of England.??? or at least didn't take their faith. I never have worked this out, Its seem a few of their children also did this,.... any ideas?????.....Lilly

No Lilly, I've never come across that before. As you say, usually you were disowned for such 'behaviour'. You could also be disowned for attending a C of E marriage, never mind being the bride and groom!! Have you ever been able to search the QM Minutes for any comments? Sarah

Hi Sarah, you have me checking all my records now lol. I have double checked and this carried on (marriages in both Meeting Hse and COFE) until at least the middle 1850's when a lot of them, when off to Canada, £100 to assist them, given by the Meeting Hse. lol . I have got my inform from the Parish records of the local Church, and BDM recorded at Ifield Meeting House. I haven't been to London to Check anything else, maybe I should it might answer some questions lol... thanks.....Lilly ps I have noticed after abt 1850, they seem to have all 'gone back to the meeting house, very strange'

I would check with the CRO as to whether they have the Minutes records as well as the BMD digests. Sounds as if they would make interesting reading! Strange that your family 'went back' to the Quaker Meeting at just the time the Quakers were becoming a bit more accepting of 'Out' marriages etc Sarah

Sarah, have send you an email.....Lilly

Hi Sarah, Thanks if i find any that go over the boarder so to speak i will think of you. Thanks kaz

Jackie, That's an interesting story! I have copied the next bit from the website of the national Archives: Microfilm copies of records of births, marriages, deaths and burials of members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) are held at the Family Records Centre and National Archives, in RG 6 , including some for the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. County digests of the entries, arranged by initial index, can be searched on microfilm for a fee at the Religious Society of Friends Library, Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ (020 7663 1135, www.quaker(.)org.uk/ The Library is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 1.00pm until 5.00pm, and on Wednesdays between 10.00am and 5.00pm. You will need to book a seat in advance. You can also search these records on microfilm in Family History Centres, where a small hiring fee may be charged. I'm sure the Quaker Minutes (that's all the 'other' stuff compiled at the Q Meetings - disownments, settlements etc etc) are also at the National Archives at Kew. If you can get there then this would be the best option. Have you ever been able to establish if Ferdinand's wife could have been a Catholic? I assume they married in the C of E, or maybe not? I imagine it was after 1837?? Good Luck with it - I could do with a story like yours in my family history to spice things up a bit! Sarah

Hi Jackie, Good Luck at Kew then! At least, with that unusual first name, Ferdinand should stand out amongst all the records you will see (hope he didn't change his first name too lol) Best of Luck Sarah

Nudge in case it helps anyone? Sarah