Quakerism became a significant movement from about 1655 and in 1656 George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers), instructed his followers to buy necessary books for registering births, marriages and burials. The registers were eventually kept in most areas by the monthly meeting, which covered a larger area than one parish. From 1776 notes of births and deaths were forwarded to quarterly meeting, where they were also registered. The registers of deaths always give the place of burial, which, in the earlier years, was the parish churchyard, but by the end of the seventeenth century most Quaker meeting houses had burial grounds. Quakers were not allowed to marry until each party had appeared at 2 or 3 successive monthly meetings: a quarter to a third of monthly meeting business concerned marriages. Marriages may therefore also be traced through monthly meeting minute books. Quaker marriage certificates, especially after 1677, are extremely detailed and include lists of witnesses. Registers often included a complete transcript of the certificate. After 1837 Quaker marriage registers adopt the
standard civil form. After 1837 separate registration of births and burials by monthly meeting ceased. Notes of births and burials were made in the monthly meeting minute books. In 1864 the Registration of Burials Act required each burial ground to have its own register.
You will find our holdings on microfilm and to see them you must make an appointment.
You will find details of our holdings for each Meeting on our website.
Many registers of non-conformist churches have been transcribed and/or indexed. You will find a list of the transcripts/indexes on our website.
You will find further information about the organisation of the Religious Society of Friends on the Society’s website .
