Documents Spanning Over 300 Years Give Insight to the Presence and Influence of Quakers in American History
PROVO,
UT--(Marketwired - Apr 28, 2014) - Ancestry.com
today released 11.5
million new records documenting one of the most prominent
groups in American history, the "Religious Society of Friends," more
commonly known as Quakers. Spanning over 300 years (late 1600s - late
1900s), the collection includes birth, marriage, death, disownment, and
memorial records, sourced from the Quaker's monthly
meeting minutes.
Quakers have played a
key role in American history and society since the country's earliest
days. There are currently more than 85,000
Quakers living in the United States and 350,000 worldwide, but it is
estimated that in the 1700s, 50 percent of all people living in the
Mid-Atlantic States were Quaker.
Ancestry.com
"I was raised in the
Quaker religion, attended Quaker schools, and was married in a Quaker
wedding ceremony. I feel a deep commitment
to spreading awareness of their culture, beliefs and powerful influence
in history," said Lisa Parry Arnold, a professional genealogist, author
and lecturer at Ancestry.com. "These new collections will help people
who are researching their family history discover
or learn more about their own Quaker heritage."
According to Arnold,
Quakers tracked the activities of their members through their monthly
business meetings. Detailed meeting minutes
are part of the collection now available on Ancestry.com, and can
provide important information for those researching their family
history, including names, dates, and relationships to fellow
"Friends." Monthly meetings also kept track of where members came
from and their destinations when they chose to move to another colony,
state or province -- a real boon for those tracing their ancestors'
footsteps.
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