Dartmouth Monthly Meeting of Friends (Wilburite) Records
Separating from the main body of the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting in 1845, the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting became one the more successful Wilburite meetings, strengthened by the absorption of smaller peers including Westport (1850), New Bedford (1865), and Berwick (1881). In 1944, just prior to the New England Friends’ reunification, Dartmouth Monthly changed its name to North Dartmouth Monthly to distinguish itself from the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting situated in South Dartmouth.
The relatively rich documentation for Dartmouth Monthly Meeting (Wilburite) begins with the meeting’s establishment in the separation of 1845 and continues through reunification as the North Dartmouth Monthly Meeting. This collection includes continuous minutes from 1845 through 1989 (including the men’s and women’s minutes), with less thorough records from the Treasurer and, for a brief period only, for the Ministers and Elders. The vital records are restricted to a single volume of certificates of removal.
Background on Dartmouth Monthly Meeting of Friends (Wilburite)
Separating from the “larger body” of the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting in 1845, in Dartmouth, Mass., the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting became one the more successful Wilburite meetings in New England, strengthened by the absorption of smaller peers including Westport (1850), New Bedford (1865), and Berwick (1881). In 1944, just prior to the New England Friends’ reunification, Dartmouth Monthly changed its name to North Dartmouth Monthly to distinguish itself from the Dartmouth Monthly Meeting situated in South Dartmouth.
After the separation of 1845, Dartmouth became part of the Sandwich (1845-1935) and then the combined Rhode Island and Sandwich Quarterly (1935-1945). Since the Wilburite and Gurneyite reunification, North Dartmouth has been part of the Narragansett (1944-1951), Rhode Island (1951-1971), Rhode Island-Smithfield (1971-1979), and finally the Sandwich Quarterly (1979-present). In turn, Dartmouth oversaw a worship group in nearby New Bedford (1865-1871 and 1881-1892) and preparatory meetings known as the North (1845-1935) and South Preparatory Meetings (1845-1863, which was also a worship group 1863-1865), as well as Westport Preparatory (1851-1851).
Scope of collection
The relatively rich documentation for Dartmouth Monthly Meeting (Wilburite) begins with the meeting’s establishment in the separation of 1845 and continues through reunification as the North Dartmouth Monthly Meeting. This collection includes continuous minutes from 1845 through 1989 (including the men’s and women’s minutes), with less thorough records from the Treasurer and, for a brief period only, for the Ministers and Elders. The vital records are restricted to a single volume of certificates of removal.
The records of Dartmouth Monthly (Wilburite) and North Dartmouth Monthly are kept together because they were kept continuously through the reunion of the New England Yearly Meeting in 1945, using the same volumes.
Inventory
Includes news clippings regarding members, State of the Society reports, correspondence, committee reports, Statement on realignment (1991).
(11:D3)
Includes materials on Little Compton property.
Administrative information
Access
The collection is open for research.
Provenance
Gift of the New England Yearly Meeting of Friends Records, March 2016.
Related Material
This collection is part of the New England Yearly Meeting Records.
Processing Information
Processed by I. Eliot Wentworth, October 2018.
Language:
English
Copyright and Use (More information )
Cite as: Dartmouth Monthly Meeting of Friends (Wilburite) Records (MS 902 w553 d378). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.
Search terms
Subjects
- Dartmouth (Mass.)–Religious life and customs
- Peace movements–Massachusetts
- Quakers–Massachusetts
- Society of Friends–Massachusetts
Names
- New England Yearly Meeting of Friends
- North Dartmouth Monthly Meeting of Friends
Genre terms
- Deeds
- Minutes (Administrative records)
- Vital records (Document genre)