Today we’re announcing a new database, Dartmouth, MA: Quaker Records, 1699-1920. The Dartmouth Historical and Arts Society (DHAS) has digitized and is transcribing the original record books for the Dartmouth monthly meeting of Friends (Quakers). These digitized images and transcriptions (when complete) are available on their website: https://www.dartmouthhas.org/quaker-transcriptions.html.
The DHAS has also partnered with us to make these records available on AmericanAncestors.org.
When finished, this database will encompass 16 volumes pertaining to the monthly meeting in Dartmouth from 1699-1920. Currently, the database presents “removal records” from seven volumes. An every name index will be added to those volumes for which it is missing when complete. By agreement, no records less than 100 years old will be posted. These meeting records provide valuable insight into the lives of early New England Quakers.
The partnership between DHAS and AmericanAncestors.org has initially focused on information-dense “removal certificate” entries in the Men’s and Women’s Minute books and the special journals dedicated to just “removals’. Since these reflect geographic connections of individuals and families at documented times they provide valuable facts to genealogists and historians regarding the homes and travels of their ancestors. Removal records can take three forms as they document the movement of individuals or families in Dartmouth. The three basic types of removal records include: (1) Marriage (to someone from a different Monthly Meeting (MM), either at Dartmouth MM or at some other MM); (2)Temporarily ‘visiting’ Dartmouth from another MM or going to another MM to ‘visit’ ; and (3) Permanently relocating to the Dartmouth MM from some other MM or to some other MM from Dartmouth.
Today we’re launching the database with seven of the 16 volumes currently available. More will be added throughout the year as our partnership continues. Today’s launch includes over 5,200 records and over 6,500 names.
The new volumes are listed below:
Removals, 1792-1821 (Vol. 13)
Removals, 1822-1847 (Vol. 14)
Men’s Minutes, 1699-1727 (Vol. 6)
Men’s Minutes, 1727-1762 (Vol. 7)
Men’s Minutes, 1762-1785 (Vol. 8)
Men’s Minutes, 1785-1803 (Vol. 9)
Women’s Minutes, 1699-1782 (Vol.15)
The mission of the Dartmouth Historical and Arts Society, a non-profit located in Dartmouth Massachusetts, 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 by members of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. For more information on the Quaker Project, visit https://dartmouthhas.org/quakerproject.html. We’d like to thank the DHAS team and volunteers who have contributed to this project so far.
Please note: This database is available to all NEHGS members. Learn more about becoming a NEHGS guest member (free).