Dartmouth Monthly Meeting of Friends (Wilburite) Records

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).