Albans MM minutes

FR2/1/1/3

Albans MM minutes

1791-1805

Fo. vol., parchment bound, pp. 276 (of which 258 written)

Routine business: queries (general answers), removals (numerous), marriage, finance (national stock - e.g. £11.10.6 subscribed 1795, p. 84), sub. for Ackworth (e.g. p.67), representatives & reports, objections to tithe

Organisation indications:

YM epistle of 1798 considered, pp. 166, 170, 175 (considerable attent.); Books of Extracts, pp. 185, 188 (18 for individuals, 5 for MMs), 1801; Friends' School & Workhouse, Clerkenwell: p241 - cert. sent for Ric. Marks Brown whose apprenticeship has expired, 1805

QM time fixed: day after 3rd First Day, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th month (p.72); 1794

complains of deficiencies in queries 1, 4, 6-7, 9 (p.170) 1800

MMs should pay attention to mtgs. on First Day afternoon & on weekday being properly kept (p.185) 1801

complains of want of admonition (p.231) 1804

minute on overseers - cttee apptd. (p.252) 1805

MM attendance:

usually 4 from Luton (mainly Brown, Jn. Freeth, Phil. Gutteridge, Chris Pryor)

0-4 from Albans, esp. Wm. Hawson, also Sam. Wooding, Jas. Smith, Tho. Bailey

1 from Hemel, usually Tho. Squire; sometimes Sam. & Jn. Squire, Jas. Pollard, Ren. Jermyn, Tho. Belch

0 from Chorleywood, unless Emmott of Jos. Skidmore

finance: some examples: new mtg. ho. in London: £35.14.0 (p.4) 1791

national stock (Luton £5.12.6, Albans £2.12.6, Hemel £2.2.0, Chorleywood £2.2.0) 1791

national stock £11.10.6 total 1795

Ackworth (Luton £3.11.0, Hemel £1.16.6, C.£1.1.0) 1800

qtrly. coll. (Luton always largest)

place of meeting: Luton every other month; alt. mth. either A. or H.

clerk: Emmott Skidmore from 1799 (p.156-7) suc. Tho. Squire

accounts: pres. by Jos. Brown

overseers: p.112, 114 suggestion for woman; Mary Brown (p.116) 1797

114 "only 1 Fd. (i.e. man) overseer in 1 mtg."

152 cttee. to consider 1799

159 still only 1

196, 199 Abigail Squire 1802

217, 222, 251 "we have no Fd. apptd. overseer" 1803-5

mtgs. & mtghouses:

p.157 QM says consider time of afternoon meeting to remedy "the frequent complaints of drowsiness" 1799

Luton new mtgho.: deficiency of £120; cttee. to get subs Hemel subscribes £55.5.0, Chorleywood £17.12.0; £100 still reqd.; trustees notified to QM 1799-1901 (pp.163-5, 183)

Meetings & mtghouses:

Albans: (p.6) no 2nd mtg. on First Day Nov.-Feb. 1791

Chorleywood: (p.25) mtgho. "ruinous" - two to enquire 1792

Wood End: (p.35) propose to QM discontinuance 1793

43 QM wants to continue - no good

47 MM sees no utility, QM agrees

107 mtgho. ruinous, to be taken down, & materials sold: take care of bur. gd. 1796

108 this has been done 1797

Sewell: mtgs. 2nd First Day in 7th month & 6 wks. later 1792

to be held as heretofore as arr. by MM 1794

Dunstable: Luton Friends think m/w monthly in summer no (p.65) longer useful, there being no Friend now living there; but hold a meeting "once or twice in the year" - QM arrange 1794

(p.72) once a year at discretion of MM

(p.78) 2nd First Day in 6th month 1795

(p.118) not thought profitable to continue 1797

Travelling Friends:

(p.228) visit from Mary Pryor, Hertford, visiting MMs & weekday mtgs. in QM area 1804

(p.247) Tho. Cash from Cheshire, Tho. Speakman from Reading 1805

Membership (rare): e.g. p.65 1794

(pp.101-2, 104) Tho. Belch, young man (father was Friend & & married out) accepted, sober conduct, regular attendance 1796

(pp.198, 201) Jas. Pearman, Water End 1802

Queries: (wording is very general)

p.32 "some admonition" 1793

p.144 "some slackness on weekday" 1798

p.217 "drowsiness" 1803

Discipline:

Tho. Ansell of Albans v. slack in attendance; twice visited, not to satisfaction; doesn't want to be disowned but will take his own course; disowned (denies Christ) 1791-3

Sarah Gutteridge of Hemel, servt. of Th. Squire: criminal connection with young man; disowned 1792

Tho. Haggar sr. in debt when he left 1793

Jos. Freeth, Luton, & Emmott Skidmore, Rickmansworth, have procured militia substitutes; J.F. acknowledges & is concerned; E.S. at first sees no inconsistency, then sensible of misconduct (pp.37-8, 50) 1793

Jon. Freeth, Luton, reprehensible (young woman); visited to little satisfaction; disowned (p.68-9) 1794

Tho. Hagger jr. (Hertford MM but resident here) absents himself v. much; suggest Hertford visit him; 1795

(he is s. of Jos., formerly Hemel but now resident with gdf., Hertford); considerable labour bestowed; only once at meeting (pp.72, 85, 89, 121, 134) debts 1795-8

Edm. Humphrey's family insolvent; relief (pp.89, 9, 95) 1795

Hannah Brown, Luton, intemperate (pp.113, 115, 141, 143) 1797-8

Betty Kendall: marriage out; disowned (pp.119, 122-4, 129) 1797-8

Wm. Perrin, Luton, idle & drinks to excess, disowned p.133 5) 1798

Jos. Simcock courting out of Society, intention fixed, disowned (p.137-8, 145) 1798

Jn. Green plans to marry out; sensible of misconduct, attends more regularly (p.142, 144) 1798

Jn. & Eliz. Tredwell, Rickmansworth, disowned some years since for insolvency, want readmission with their 3 children; they have not paid their debts in full (p.153) 1799

Jos. Hill, swearing; disowned (p.167-8) 1800

Jn. Perrin, p.212 1803

Sarah Hemmings shows little sorrow (p.236) 1804

(Note also p.83 "remissness in a few"

p.87 "negligence over weekday meetings) 1795

Miscellaneous

Ruth Hill servant goes to Baldock MM 1795

Jos. Gilkes, now living with Dan. Brown as servt. goes to Banbury MM p.81 1795

Joanna Simms of Baldock MM servt. in this MM, p. 92 1796

deeds should be kept in safe place - safe in Luton mtgho. pp.124, 153 1798-9

visit from Mercy & Ann Ransom, Hitchin, p.128 1798

visit of Jos. Nicholson from Ireland, p.131 1798

visit of Mary Sterry, London, p.140 1798

chest at Hemel for deeds of Hemel & Albans, Chorleywood & Wood End (pp.156, 159-60) 1799

English