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<!DOCTYPE ead PUBLIC "+//ISBN 1-931666-00-8//DTD ead.dtd (Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002)//EN" "ead.dtd">
<ead>
<eadheader langencoding="iso639-2b" countryencoding="iso3166-1" dateencoding="iso8601" repositoryencoding="iso15511" scriptencoding="iso15924" audience="internal" id="head" relatedencoding="MARC21">

<eadid publicid="-//us::mu//TEXT us::mu::mums902-a447.xml//EN" countrycode="us" mainagencycode="mu">mums902-a447</eadid>

<filedesc>
<titlestmt>
<titleproper encodinganalog="245$a">Amesbury Friends Meeting Records</titleproper>
<subtitle>Finding Aid</subtitle>
<author encodinganalog="245$c">Finding aid prepared by I. Eliot Wentworth.</author>
</titlestmt>
<publicationstmt>
<publisher encodinganalog="260$b">Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries, UMass Amherst</publisher>
<date encodinganalog="260$c" normal="2018">2018</date>
<p>&#169; University of Massachusetts Amherst. All rights reserved.</p>
</publicationstmt>
</filedesc>

<profiledesc>
<creation encodinganalog="500">Finding aid encoded in MSWord <date>2018-10-01</date>
</creation>
<langusage>Finding aid written in <language encodinganalog="546" langcode="eng" scriptcode="latn">English</language></langusage>
</profiledesc>
</eadheader>

<archdesc relatedencoding="MARC21" level="collection">
<did id="main">
<origination label="Amesbury Friends Meeting">
<corpname source="lcnaf" encodinganalog="110">Amesbury Friends Meeting</corpname>
</origination>
<unittitle encodinganalog="245$a">Amesbury Friends Meeting Records</unittitle>
<unitdate encodinganalog="245$f" type="inclusive" normal="1800/2003">1700-2003</unitdate>
<unitid encodinganalog="099" repositorycode="mu" countrycode="us">MS 902 a447</unitid>
<physdesc>
<extent encodinganalog="300$a">11 vols., 3 boxes</extent>
<extent encodinganalog="300$a">(2.5 linear feet)</extent>
</physdesc>
<repository label="Location:">
<corpname>Special Collections and University Archives, UMass Amherst Libraries</corpname>
</repository>
<abstract encodinganalog="520$a">The Amesbury Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends, tied historically to the Hampton and Seabrook Monthly Meetings, has met on the coast of Massachusetts and New Hampshire for over three hundred years.<lb />The records of Amesbury (Hampton and Seabrook) Monthly Meeting document over three centuries of Quaker practice in New England coastal communities. The meeting minutes for both men's and women's meetings are relatively complete for the period 1701 to the late 1880s, and after nearly a century-long hiatus, pick up again in the mid-1980s.</abstract>
<langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial>
</did>



<bioghist id="bioghist">
<dao href="http://credo.library.umass.edu/images/resize/400/muph061-sl461-i001-001.jpg"><daodesc><p>Abbie Loring in Cape Cod Quaker attire, ca.1930. Photo by Alton H. Blackington</p></daodesc></dao>

<p>A Friends' meeting on the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border, the Amesbury Monthly meeting has met in three closely-linked coastal communities since the turn of the eighteenth century. Friends were already a presence near Hampton, New Hampshire, before 1701, when Thomas Chase donated a parcel of land and Quakers from the surrounding towns raised the funds for construction of a meetinghouse there.</p>

<p>In the nearby town of Amesbury, Mass., Quakers were recorded as early as 1705, when locals began to meet under the care of Hampton Monthly Meeting. Between 1710, when a meetinghouse was completed in Amesbury, and 1768, monthly meeting alternated between the two towns. To complicate matters further the Hampton Monthly Meeting changed name to Seabrook Monthly in 1792, and in 1883 or 1884, the meeting adopted its current name, Amesbury Friends Meeting. They are known as the home of John Greenleaf Whittier, the most celebrated Quaker poet of the nineteenth century. As clerk of the Amesbury Building Committee in 1851, Whittier oversaw construction of the meetinghouse that is still in use today.</p>

<p>Part of the New England Yearly Meeting from its founding, Amesbury-Hampton have been part of Salem Quarterly Meeting since quarterly meetings were first established in 1705. As an early meeting in the region, Amesbury has given risen to a number of offshoots. Weare Monthly Meeting was set off in 1795, and Amesbury-Hampton have nurtured a number of worship groups and preparative meetings, including:</p>



<table frame="none">
        <tgroup cols="2">
            <colspec colnum="1" colname="1" align="left" />
            <colspec colnum="2" colname="2" align="left" />
            <thead>
                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Worship groups</entry>
                    <entry colname="2">Preparative meetings</entry>
                </row>
            </thead>
            <tbody>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1"></entry>
                    <entry colname="2">Amesbury (1710-1889)</entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Brentwood, N.H. (1751-1756)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2"></entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Chichester, N.H. (1778)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2"></entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Epping, N.H. (1757-1803)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2">Epping (1803-1901)</entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1"></entry>
                    <entry colname="2">Hampton (1701-1778): became Seabrook Preparative</entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Haverhill, Mass. (1756-1758)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2"></entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Kensington, N.H. (1755-1825)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2"></entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Newbury, Mass. (1701-1761, 1790-ca.1830): became West Newbury</entry>
                    <entry colname="2">Newbury (1761-1790)</entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Newton, N.H. (1754-1803)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2"></entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Pittsfield, N.H. (1763-1802, 1860-1885)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2">Pittsifled (1802-1860, 1885-1901): became South Pittsfield Worship Group</entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Salisbury, Mass. (1710-1803)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2"></entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Seabrook, N.H. (1842-1885)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2">Seabrook (1778-1842)</entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">South Pittsfield, N.H. (1901-1954)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2"></entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">Weare, N.H. (1769-1777)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2">Weare (1777-1795)</entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">West Epping, N.H. (1901-1945)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2"></entry>
                </row>

                <row>
                    <entry colname="1">West Newbury, Mass. (ca.1830-1853, 1881-1889)</entry>
                    <entry colname="2">West Newbury (1853-1881)</entry>
                </row>
            </tbody>
        </tgroup>
    </table>
</bioghist>


<scopecontent id="scope">
<p>The records of Amesbury (Hampton and Seabrook) Monthly Meeting document over three centuries of Quaker practice in New England coastal communities. The meeting minutes for both men's and women's meetings are relatively complete for the period 1701 to the late 1880s, and after nearly a century-long hiatus, pick up again in the mid-1980s. The collection contains valuable, but incomplete, records of births, deaths, and marriages during the early years of the meeting and small bodies of materials relating to meeting finances.</p>

<p>In this finding aid, we use the meeting name appropriate to the time when describing the contents of the archive.</p>
</scopecontent>


<accessrestrict id="admin-access">
<p>The collection is open for research.</p>
</accessrestrict>

<prefercite id="admin-cite">
<p><emph render="italic">Cite as</emph>: Amesbury Friends Meeting Records (MS 902 a447). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.</p>
</prefercite>

<acqinfo id="admin-acqinfo">
<p>Gift of the New England Yearly Meeting of Friends Records, March 2016.</p>
</acqinfo>


<relatedmaterial>
<p>This collection is part of the <extref href="http://findingaids.library.umass.edu/ead/mums902">New England Yearly Meeting Records</extref>.</p>
</relatedmaterial>

<odd>
<head>Current contact for the meeting</head>
<p><extref href="https://amesburyquakers.org">Amesbury Friends Meeting website</extref> (accessed Nov. 2018).</p>
</odd>

<relatedmaterial type="folksonomy">
<archref>Quakers</archref>
<archref>Religion</archref>
<archref>Massachusetts (East)</archref>
<archref>New Hampshire</archref>
</relatedmaterial>

<processinfo><p>Processed by I. Eliot Wentworth, October 2018.</p></processinfo>


<controlaccess id="subj">
<corpname encodinganalog="610" source="lcnaf">New England Yearly Meeting of Friends</corpname>

<subject encodinganalog="650" source="lcsh">Quakers--Massachusetts</subject>
<subject encodinganalog="650" source="lcsh">Quakers--New Hampshire</subject>
<subject encodinganalog="650" source="lcsh">Society of Friends--Massachusetts</subject>
<subject encodinganalog="650" source="lcsh">Society of Friends--New Hampshire</subject>


<geogname encodinganalog="651" source="lcsh">Amesbury (Mass.)--Religious life and customs</geogname>
<geogname encodinganalog="651" source="lcsh">Hampton(N.H.)--Religious life and customs</geogname>
<geogname encodinganalog="651" source="lcsh">Seabrook (N.H.)--Religious life and customs</geogname>

<genreform encodinganalog="655" source="aat">Minutes (Adminisrative records)</genreform>
<genreform encodinganalog="655" source="aat">Newsletters</genreform>
<genreform encodinganalog="655" source="aat">Vital records (Document genre)</genreform>
</controlaccess>



<dsc type="in-depth">

<c01 level="series">
<did>
<unittitle>Minutes</unittitle>
<unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1701/2003">1701-2003</unitdate>
</did>

<c02 level="subseries"><did><unittitle>Men's minutes</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1701/1888">1701-1888</unitdate></did>

<c03 level="file"><did><physloc>09:A5</physloc><unittitle>Hampton-Seabrook Monthly: Men's minutes</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1701/1757">1701-1757</unitdate><physdesc>Bound vol.</physdesc></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><physloc>09:A5</physloc><unittitle>Hampton-Seabrook Monthly: Men's minutes</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1758-01-19/1804-07-19">1758 Jan. 19-1804 July 19</unitdate><physdesc>Bound vol.</physdesc></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><physloc>09:D2</physloc><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Men's minutes</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1804-08-16/1844-03-07">1804 Aug. 16-1844 Mar. 7</unitdate><physdesc>Bound vol.</physdesc></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><physloc>09:D2</physloc><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Men's minutes</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1844-04-04/1888-01-05">1844 Apr. 4-1888 Jan. 5</unitdate><physdesc>Bound vol.</physdesc></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">2</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Men's minutes (rough)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1842/1843">1842-1843</unitdate></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">1</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Men's minutes (rough)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1844/1846">1844-1846</unitdate></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">1</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Men's minutes (rough)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1848/1850">1848-1850</unitdate></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">1</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Men's minutes (rough)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1851/1853">1851-1853</unitdate></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">2</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Men's minutes (rough)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1853/1860">1853-1860</unitdate></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">3</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Men's minutes (rough)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1863/1864">1863-1864</unitdate></did></c03>

</c02>


<c02 level="subseries"><did><unittitle>Women's minutes</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1701/1885">1701-1885</unitdate></did>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">4</container><physloc>11:B7</physloc><unittitle>Hampton-Seabrook Monthly: Minutes (Women)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1701/1780">1701-1752, 1780</unitdate></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><physloc>09:A5</physloc><unittitle>Hampton-Seabrook Monthly: Minutes (Women)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1785-02-17/1826-05-04">1785 Feb. 17-1826 May 4</unitdate><physdesc>Bound vol.</physdesc></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><physloc>09:D2</physloc><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Minutes (Women)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1826-06-01/1851-12-04">1826 June 1-1851 Dec. 4</unitdate><physdesc>Bound vol.</physdesc></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><physloc>09:D2</physloc><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Minutes (Women)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1852-01-01/1885-12-06">1852 Jan.-1885 Dec.</unitdate><physdesc>Bound vol.</physdesc></did></c03>

</c02>


<c02 level="subseries"><did><unittitle>Joint minutes</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1985/2003">1985-2003</unitdate></did>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">2</container><container type="folder">2</container><unittitle>Amesbury Monthly: Minutes</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1985/1987">1985-1987</unitdate></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">2</container><container type="folder">3</container><unittitle>Amesbury Monthly: Minutes</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1988/1989">1988-1989</unitdate></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">2</container><container type="folder">4</container><unittitle>Amesbury Monthly: Minutes (includes State of Society reports for 1987, 1989-1991)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1990/1992-05">1990-1992 May</unitdate></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">2</container><container type="folder">5</container><unittitle>Amesbury Monthly: Minutes</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1999/2001-11">1999-2001 Nov.</unitdate></did></c03>

<c03 level="file"><did><container type="box">2</container><container type="folder">6</container><unittitle>Amesbury Monthly: Minutes</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="2002-01/2003-07">2002-2003 July</unitdate></did></c03>

</c02>

</c01>



<c01 level="series">
<did>
<unittitle>Correspondence and reports</unittitle>
<unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1700/1878">1700-1878</unitdate>
</did>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">5</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Removal certificates</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1840/1876">1840-1876</unitdate></did></c02>


</c01>



<c01 level="series">
<did>
<unittitle>Vital records</unittitle>
<unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1700/1878">1700-1878</unitdate>
</did>

<c02 level="file"><did><physloc>09:A5</physloc><unittitle>Hampton-Seabrook Monthly: Births, deaths, and marriages</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1700/1878">1700-1878</unitdate><physdesc>Bound vol.</physdesc></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><physloc>09:A5</physloc><unittitle>Hampton-Seabrook Monthly: Minutes and marriages</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1701-06-15/1757-12-15">1701 June 15-1757 Dec. 15</unitdate><physdesc>Bound vol.</physdesc></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><physloc>Framed</physloc><unittitle>Amesbury Monthly: Stephen Sawyer and Sarah Rowell wedding certificate</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1719-02-20">1719 Feb. 20</unitdate><physdesc></physdesc></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">4</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Membership list</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1873/1875">1873, 1875</unitdate></did></c02>

</c01>




<c01 level="series">
<did>
<unittitle>Worship and ministry</unittitle>
<unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1858/1893">1858-1893</unitdate>
</did>

<c02 level="file"><did><physloc>09:D2</physloc><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Select Preparative Meeting</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1858-10-06/1893-08-02">1858 Oct. 6-1893 Aug. 2</unitdate><physdesc>Bound vol.</physdesc></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">7</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Traveling ministers: Beede, Daniel</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1858/1867">1858-1867</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">8</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Traveling ministers: Folsom, Thomas and Soviah</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1865/1876">1865-1876</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">9</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Traveling ministers: Gove, Edward and Elizabeth</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1843/1873">1843-1873</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">10</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Traveling ministers: Huntington, Moses</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1841/1872">1841-1872</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">11</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Traveling ministers: Meader, Martha</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1864">1864</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">12</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Traveling ministers: Ordway, Newell</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1841/1865">1841-1865</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">13</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Traveling ministers: Ordway, Newell</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1866/1871">1866-1871</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">14</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Traveling ministers: Thompson, William</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1846/1853">1846-1853</unitdate></did></c02>


</c01>



<c01 level="series">
<did>
<unittitle>Finance and property</unittitle>
<unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1835/1988">1835-1988</unitdate>
</did>

<c02 level="file"><did><physloc>09:D2</physloc><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Treasurer</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1835/1900">1835-1900</unitdate><physdesc>Bound vol.</physdesc></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">2</container><container type="folder">1</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Property Committee</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1980/1988">1980-1988</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">1</container><container type="folder">1</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Property Committee</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1980/1988">1980-1988</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">1</container><container type="folder">2</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Property Committee grants</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1983">1983</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">1</container><container type="folder">3</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Property Committee: Meetinghouse property data</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1980/1981">1980-1981</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">15</container><unittitle>Seabrook Monthly: Salem Quarterly correspondence re: Yearly Meeting stock</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1841/1878">1841-1878</unitdate></did></c02>

</c01>



<c01 level="series">
<did>
<unittitle>Newsletters and publications</unittitle>
<unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1822">1822</unitdate>
</did>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">16</container><unittitle><title render="italic">Epistle from the Yearly Meeting held in London</title>. Boston: Stephen G. Jones</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1876">1876</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">16</container><unittitle><title render="italic">Epistle from the Yearly Meeting held in London</title>. Boston: Stephen G. Jones</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1878">1878</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">16</container><unittitle><title render="italic">The Friends Library</title> [subscription sheet]. Philadelphia: s.n.</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1842">1842</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">16</container><origination>New-England Tract Association of Friends</origination><unittitle><title render="italic">Form of a constitution for auxiliaries</title>. Providence, R.I.: s.n.</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1838">1838</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">16</container><unittitle><title render="italic">A testimony issued by a conference of Friends held at Sugar Grove, Hendricks County, Indiana</title>. S.l.: s.n.</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1877">1877</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">16</container><origination>Yearly Meeting of Friends for New-England</origination><unittitle><title render="italic">Correspondents of New-England Yearly Meeting</title>. S.l.: s.n.</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1845">1845</unitdate></did></c02>

<c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">16</container><origination>Yearly Meeting of Friends for New-England</origination><unittitle>[subscription list for "Memorials of deceased Friends of New-England Yearly Meeting"]. S.l.: s.n.</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1841">1841</unitdate></did></c02>

</c01>



    <c01 level="series">
        <did>
            <unittitle>Miscellaneous</unittitle>
            <unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1822">1822</unitdate>
        </did>
        
        <c02 level="file"><did><container type="box">3</container><container type="folder">5</container><origination>Beebe, Ruth</origination><unittitle>Letter to Jonathan Beebe (son at Friends Boarding School)</unittitle><unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1822-01-16">1822 Jan. 16</unitdate></did></c02>
        
    </c01>
    
    
    

</dsc>



</archdesc>
</ead>
