Minutes

FR3/1/1/2

Minutes

1724-1768

Folio vol., orig. binding, 356 pp. (one or two pp. cut out)

Cover: minute of 2/9/1716 debarring any not in unity from being present

p.1 list of meetings: Flaunden & Watford

Chorleywood & Rickmansworth

Hempstead & Wood End

Albans

1, 8 YM queries, 1-9; 1-13 (1759 & 1762)

2 QM queries: 1. are any not in unity admitted to business meetings?

2. wills

3. attendance at weekday meetings

4. poor & children

5. tithes

6. ending differences

7. how are Friends preserved from giving way to a sleepy drowsy disposition?

8. QM queries: in due time

7 QM queries: version of 1755

9 QM queries to ministers & elders, 1759

3-6 YM: epistle, 1706

Minutes of 1698, 1699, 1720 (travelling Friends)

Letter to QMs. about poor, removal, servants, 1724.

General: very well kept, but somewhat less so latterly; names of those attending given (varies 4 (p.177, 1744) to 13 sufferings in detail; (p. 70, 1731); or 9 (p.355 176

Answers to queries in full:

E.g. p.15, 38 weekday meetings poorly attended

66 not so well with respect to unity as we could wish

74 wish could be better

Removals given

Marriages - full particulars

Collections

Representatives to QM & reports from YM epistle

Indications as to organisation:

YM p. 34 book to be bought for YM epistles, 1727

93 (& elsewhere) reference to YM week "when divers Friends are like to be absent", 1734

QM 30 Baldock MM received into unity, 1727

87 QM to be at 10th hour (except midsummer)

183 QM reps. visit: Jn. Pryor, Hertford; will be at Chorleywood; visit v. acceptable, 1746

257 QM meeting of ministers & elders, 5th hr., 1st day before QM, 1758

268 QM: only 1 representative, 1759

MM 28 new treasurer Tho. Reading (Zach. Wallis d.)

44 Albans alters weekday meeting from 1st to 10th hr., 4th day

51-2 QM reps. bring a minute from YM & QM to each MM to make choice of some faithful elders to watch over such as are young in ministry, 1729

(Sol. Weedon, Jn. Owen)

97 Albans wants MM once in 3 months at Albans, 1734/5

98 agreed: Watford, Hempstead, Albans in rotation

103 Tho. Beech, treasurer, d.: Tho. Dearmer; stock now 7d.

118 Jn. Owen clerk for over 30 yrs.; succeeded by son-in-law, Tho. Squire, 1737

163 meeting declining - death & removal, 1743

182 meeting declining, 1746

198 too great deficiency at weekday meetings, 1749

239 things low amongst us, 1755

217 visiting of Friends: "as this meeting is now circumstanced" not practicable, 1751

244 YM recommends it

246 "as things are now circumstanced, we cannot make such an appointment" - small numbers & dispersed, 1756

265 meetings v. small - not practicable to hold meetings of ministers & elders, 1758

273, 305 for some time past no overseers, 1759, 1762

285-6 no weekday meeting at Watford (sorrow); proposed 11th hr., 6th day (apparently Chorleywood), 1761

PM reestablishment of Preparative Meetings a continuing minute (e.g. p. 321, 1764)

331, 334-5 Albans will do this, 1765 (others recommended to) meeting houses & meetings:

78-9 Wood End conveyed 1704/5; trust renewed 1732

Hempstead, 1718; Albans, 1711; new bur. gd., 1721; (all deeds with Wm. Tomson)

103 Chorleywood to have £4 out of stock, 1735

102-3, 105, 113 Rickmansworth slack & negligent in attendance, 1735

103 Albans & Hempstead have been at v. gt. expenses for charges of this meeting: to have £6 & £5, 1735

107, 113 Chorleywood own their neglect - much illness, 1736

152 Watford & Albans both think necessitous Jn. Packer belongs to the other, 1741

153 Watford remiss in attending MM, 1742

192, 195 Albans deeds found, 1747

194 book to be found to register deeds

290 draft of account of deeds brought in: 1761

Trust deeds: Albans, 1742; Wood End, 1755; Watford, 1739

(this last is copy of ct. roll, Watford manor: Sam. Weeden sr. names of trustees are given

324 Watford: usually once a month, but Chorleywood Friends propose dropping; referred to next meeting, 1764

Next meeting - majority for discontinuance; where is MM to be held?

326-7 Chorleywood to have MM 3, 6, 9 month (Hempstead & Albans alternate as formerly)

Discipline

56, 58-9 Ben. Mitchell of Albans has (after too gt. familiarity) married his servant maid by the priest, 1730; disowned

62-4 Wm. Harrison of Albans married servant maid by priest, 1730/1; on being visited he "ran into reflections against Friends"

77-9 Rachel Weedon of Rickmansworth complains of husband Sol.: ill treatment & hard usage, 1732; she should have gone first to her PM; two Friends to go & conciliate; both promise amendment (long report - she accuses him of adultery); both are given advice, & Rachel is not to be allowed at business meetings;

177-9 Ben. Baldwin & w. acknowledge their fault (disorderly practices) 1744

179-82 Ste. Scotten & Priscilla Warner married by priest, 1745

216, 221 Jas. Prior: suspected marriage by priest, 1751; not disposed to give satisfaction; disown, 1752

227-8 Eliz. Neale mar. by priest, 1753

235, 248-9, 253, 262 the Hill sisters:- (marr. by priest)

Rosamond & Rachel (Rachel repents), 1754

Sar. seems likely to, seems resolute, does, & won't repent, 1756-7; (see also Ann below)

255 Ann Gee (nee Wallis) repents of marrying out, 1757

262, 264 Sar. Wingfield's disorderly conduct, mar. out of Soc., 1758 but repents

267 Jn. Belch marries by priest, 1758

271 Ann Hill married by priest, 1759

Visiting of families

87-8 1733

288 enquiries into those who pay tithe & don't bring up children plainly to be made by each PM (apparently from YM) all to be watchful against spirit of liberty creeping in; if any Friend feels drawn to visit another in love, do so; 176]

289 Albans in favour of visitation; no reply from others;

290 appointment made "in a spirit of love & tenderness"

291 report on a visit: not so much success as could wish;

294 nothing further done

306 "some progress"

(Drags on for some further pp.)

315-6 enquiry into case of Jn. Child's "crime" - disowned, 1763

Queries

117, 133 no increase, but "there seems a desire in divers neighbours to hear the testimony of truth declared, esp. when we happen to have any strangers who are ministering Fds.", 1735

204 agree there should be added a query as to drowsiness, 1749

211, 225 send same replies as before, 1751, 1753

292 numbers small, thinly attended, 1761

Some faithful against tithe, others comply

Poor

16. legacy from Geo. Bowles

25 Albans not able to continue collection for Wid. Packer's 3 chn., 1726

28 2 Packer children put out & sum reduced, 1726

30 Albans refuses to pay at all - Hempstead & Watford make up;

66 Hannah Wallis reduced in the world, 1731

103 son of Wm. Greenhill, 1734

123 Robt. Crouch, Fen Stanton, Hunts., 1737/8

152 Packer again

158, 160-1, 164, 167, 170-1 Sar. Wells

183-6, 296, 302-3, 311-4, 317 et seq.

Wid. Butterfield of Watford likely to be destitute, 1746

Devonshire Ho. mtg. has spent £40 on Ann Butterfield, & asks for repayment, 1762

Charge has been growing for 17 yrs.; judgement of QM;

"The case of this poor Friend does not belong to us";

Appeals Cttee arbitrates;

"Small & scattered meeting don't like to contend with large & powerful QM of London"

307-9 Jn. West, Horslydown (Albans): he was at Albans two yrs. ago as apprentice but did not answer, 1763

Books

70 Anth. Pearson: Gt. case of tithes

80-1, 96, 102, 174, 196 printing vol. on Sufferings: subs. are taken; Hempstead 3, Watford 1, Albans 2, MM lib. 1 (later increased)

94 Barclay's Apology to be reprinted

95 enquiry to be made whether "the bookseller of Albans" will

96 sell & expose to sale Friends' books, 1734; Jn. Owen submits list

104 He (Wm. Hunt) is v. willing, on sale or return

275 check on books, 1759

278 catalogue of, 1760

328 books for poor Friends, 1764

330 Fox's journal, 1765

School

90 Hempstead schoolmaster's dau. (Sar., dau. of Jn. Owen) to m.

Tho. Squire, late Hempstead, now Witney, 1733;

Wedding decently solemnised at Hempstead, 5/1/1734-5

Travelling Friends

17, 20 Joan Turpin, Albans - north, 1725; "well approved as minister"

35 Hertford MM informs that Hen. Taylor travelled as public Friend without cert., 1727

Finance

68 MM stock lends £5 to member of Albans meeting, 1731

73 collection in this county deficient, 1732

103 grants to Albans & Hempstead, 1735

159 division of stock: Hempstead £7.10.0; Watford £7.10.0; Albans £5

165 similar

187 ext. expenses - no probability of accomplishing collection, 1746

269 collection for Soc.: Albans 1.11.6 1759

Hempstead 2.12.6

Watford 3.5.6

Women

33 considered whether men & women should meet together

35-6 awhile before business entered on; but rejected, 1727

85-6 women have £20 in all - to be handed to men who

101 will lend to Jn. Belch @ 5%, 1733

Miscellaneous

186 speedy & liberal collection for Friends who

187 suffered in rebellion (but see ante), 1746 - not acted on

218 alteration of calendar, 1752

338-9 enclosure, 1766

Occupations (not all noted)

Baker servant

Cabinet-maker shoemaker

Carpenter tailor

Corn chandler tinplate worker

Flour man or mealman wheelwright

Husbandman writing master

Grocer yeoman

English