Reading and Exeter Monthly Meetings Records
Scope and Contents
Records of Reading Monthly Meeting and its predecessors since 1715. Included are: minutes of the men's meeting and later, of joint sessions with women; vital records (births and deaths, marriage and membership records, removals, etc.); women's minutes; minutes of the worship and ministry committee and of its predecessor, the meeting of ministry and counsel and ministry and worship; financial and property records; miscellaneous papers.
Dates
- Creation: 1715 - 2023
Creator
- Oley Monthly Meeting (Society of Friends : 1737-1742) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Access may be provided via digital or microfilm copy, per repository policy.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright has not been assigned to the Repositories All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the individual Meeting or its successor. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Repositories as the holder(s) of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.
Biographical / Historical
Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting established Oley Monthly Meeting in 1737. In 1742, its name was changed to "Exeter". At this time, there were five or more meetings under the care of Exeter Monthly: Exeter Preparative, Maidencreek Preparative, Robeson Preparative, Pottsville Indulged, and Reading Preparative. In addition, Pottstown Indulged Meeting was set up in 1753; it was known as "Pottsgrove" Meeting until circa 1774. This meeting was discontinued in 1935, though its burial ground continued to exist.
Two monthly meetings emerged in 1829 after the Hicksite Separation. Exeter Monthly Meeting (Orthodox) was discontinued in 1899 and its members were transferred to the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia at Arch Street. The meeting for worship was discontinued in 1932. In 1949, a meeting for worship known as "Old Exeter Particular Meeting" was established under the care of Caln Quarterly Meeting (Orthodox). This meeting became Exeter Monthly Meeting in 1955.
Exeter Monthly Meeting (Hicksite) removed all its sessions to Reading around 1878. In 1950, this meeting became a united meeting by affiliation with the Hicksite and Orthodox Philadelphia Quarterly Meetings, and its name was changed to Reading-Exeter United Monthly Meeting of Friends. In 1955, the meeting's name was changed to Reading Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. This is currently an active monthly meeting.
Extent
15.5 linear ft.
Language of Materials
English
Physical Location
This collection includes records stored at the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College and at the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. Please contact friends@swarthmore.edu for more information on depositing new records.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Deposit
Subject
- Oley Monthly Meeting (Society of Friends : 1737-1742) (Organization)
- Exeter Monthly Meeting (Society of Friends : 1742-1829) (Organization)
- Exeter Monthly Meeting of Friends (Hicksite : 1829-1950) (Organization)
- Reading-Exeter United Monthly Meeting of Friends (1950-1955) (Organization)
- Reading Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Organization)
- Exeter Monthly Meeting (Society of Friends : 1737-1899 : Stonersville, Pa.) (Organization)
- Title
- Reading and Exeter Monthly Meetings Records
- Author
- Reading Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends Reading-Exeter United Monthly Meeting of Friends (1950-1955)
- Date
- 2009
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Find It at the Library
Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting repoductions from Quaker Meeting Records at Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections and Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library
