Introduction to the project
As the Dartmouth Historical and Arts Society, a non-profit located in Dartmouth Massachusetts, our mission is to support, promote, preserve, and disseminate the historic and cultural diversity of Dartmouth, Massachusetts. A significant part of that history is the early settlement of the community of people called Quakers.
Dartmouth is unique in that, because of its Quaker influence, it was one of the early settlements defying the colonial religious requirements of the day, and helped in part to drive the eventual separation of church and state.
We have recently discovered a source of original record books for the Dartmouth monthly meeting of Friends (Quakers), and with permission of the Friends caretaker of these volumes, we have digitized them and made them available to view on our website. The earliest volume is the Men’s Meeting Minutes starting in 1699. The digitized volumes contain 3,000 images (approximately 6,000 pages of records).
This is an unparalleled source of information on the life, values, culture and movement of the community of Friends throughout New England covering 250 years. To enable researchers, genealogists and all interested parties to make use of these records, and with the support of the local Friends community, we transcribed these volumes and made them computer searchable.
Dartmouth is unique in that, because of its Quaker influence, it was one of the early settlements defying the colonial religious requirements of the day, and helped in part to drive the eventual separation of church and state.
We have recently discovered a source of original record books for the Dartmouth monthly meeting of Friends (Quakers), and with permission of the Friends caretaker of these volumes, we have digitized them and made them available to view on our website. The earliest volume is the Men’s Meeting Minutes starting in 1699. The digitized volumes contain 3,000 images (approximately 6,000 pages of records).
This is an unparalleled source of information on the life, values, culture and movement of the community of Friends throughout New England covering 250 years. To enable researchers, genealogists and all interested parties to make use of these records, and with the support of the local Friends community, we transcribed these volumes and made them computer searchable.
Who are the Quakers?
The Sandwich Monthly meeting link is not only a great introduction to Quaker history, but also to a contemporary religious organization most fitting for todays skeptical society.
The Sandwich Monthly meeting link is not only a great introduction to Quaker history, but also to a contemporary religious organization most fitting for todays skeptical society.
Quaker Project Progress
The completed volumes can be viewed on our new records page in the Colonial Era Records section here.
The completed volumes can be viewed on our new records page in the Colonial Era Records section here.
