Quaker Notes

Interpreting Quaker Records

Quaker records are sometimes difficult to interpret unless you are familiar with some frequently used abbreviations, such as:

altm = at liberty to marry

apd = attending places of diversion

apd = appointed, appealed

apt = appointed

att = attached to, attended

b = born

BG = burial grounds

btw = between

bur = buried

bef = before

c = circa, about

cem = cemetery

cert = certificate

cd = contrary to the Discipline

ch = child, children, church

chm = condemned his/her misconduct

chr = charter

co = chosen overseer (s), county

com = complained, complained of

comm = committee

comp = complained, complained of

con = condemned

ct = certificate, certificate to

d = died, day

dau = daughter

dec = deceased

dis = disowned, disowned for

div = divorced

dp = dropped plain dress and/or speech

dr = drinking spiritous liquor to excess

drpd = dropped

dt = daughter, daughters

dtd = dated

e = east

end = endorsed

FBG = Friends burial grounds

fam = family

form = formerly

fr = from

Frds = Friends

gc = granted certificate

gct = granted certificate to

gl = granted letter

glt = granted letter to

gr dau = grand daughter

gr s = grand son

Gr Yd = grave yard

h or hus = husband

j = joined

jas = joined another society

JP = justice of the peace

ltm = liberated to marry, left at liberty to marry

lvd = lived

lvg = living

m = marry, married, marrying, marriage, month

mbr = member

mbrp = membership

mcd = married contrary to Discipline

MG = minister of the Gospel

MH = meeting house, church

mi = miles

MM = monthly meeting

mos = married out of society

mou = married out of unity

mt = married to

mtg = meeting

mvd = moved

n = north

na = not attending meeting

neg att = neglecting attendance

nmn = no middle name

NW Terr = Northwest Territory

O = Orthodox, Ohio

ou = out of unity

PM = preparative meeting

PO = post office address

prc = produced a certificate

prcf = produced a certificate from

prob = probably

Qkr = Quaker

QM = quarterly meeting

rcd = recorded

rec/rcd = receive, received

recrq = received by request

relfc = released from care for

relrq = released by request

rem = remove, removed

ret = returned, retired (rarely used)

ret mbrp = retained membership

rev = reversed

rm = reported married

rmt = reported married to

roc = received on certificate

rocf = received on certificate from

rol = received on letter

rolf = received on letter from

rpd = reported

rrq = request, requests, requested

rqc = requested certificate

rqct = requested certificate to

rqcuc = requested to come under care (of mtg.)

rst = reinstate, reinstated

s = son, south

sep = separated

sis = sister

temp = temporarily

transfrd = transferred

twp = township

uc = under care (of mtg)

unm = unmarried

upl = using profane language

w = wife, west

w/c = with consent of

wid = widow

w/pwr = with power

wrkd = worked

y = year

YM = yearly meeting

When a member of the Society of Friends acted in a manner contrary to discipline, that member was visited by a committee appointed by the meeting. If the member failed to acknowledge fault after visitation by the committee, then the member was disowned by the Society and could not be reinstated until acknowledgement of fault was made.

Members of the Society of Friends could be disowned for a variety of reasons. If you are reading Hinshaw's Encyclopedia, you will often see the notation that someone was "dis mou" or "dis mcd." "Mou" meant that they had married out unity to someone who was not a member of the Society. Marriage contrary to discipline sometimes meant that the couple, both Quakers, chose to be married by the Justice of the Peace or a clergy from another religion thereby "by-passing meeting." To be married within the Society, the couple had to declare intentions before both the prospective bride's and groom's to insure that they both had no other obligations which would prevent their marrying. A committee would be appointed to look into the character of both and then report back to the meeting. If they were found free to marry, they were granted permission to marry at the next meeting. This often took two to three months and sometimes couples were not willing to wait this long to marry. When they were disowned, it was was a forever thing =unless= they admitted their wrongdoing usually through a written petition to the meeting and then the meeting would decide whether or not to readmit the disowned member(s). In this case, you will see notations in Hinshaw indicating that a person "con their mou" or "con their mcd" indicating that they had condemned their own misbehavior. Unless they were specifically denied readmission you can assume that they were accepted back.

Often a couple who had mou or mcd would seek readmission just prior to requesting a certificate of transfer in order to move to a new meeting. This could be some years after their marriage in which case any children born prior to their readmission will not have their births recorded in the monthly meeting records. If you are tracking a couple be sure to record when they requested certificates to leave a meeting and when they were received at the new meeting.

Members could also be disowned for any number of other reasons such as attending a wedding of a sibling who mcd, marrying too close of a relative, dancing, not dressing plain, striking another, playing cards or taking up arms. Be aware of the dates when a man was disowned which might suggest that he had participated in a war. ^[3]