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Bristol Preparative Meeting Records

Notifications

Held at: Quaker Meeting Records at Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections and Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Quaker Meeting Records at Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections and Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

A meeting for worship at Bristol was organized around 1704 and established under Falls Monthly Meeting in 1707. Bristol Preparative Meeting was established on a formal basis in 1755, although the meeting may have been functioning as a preparative meeting before that time. In 1788, the preparative meeting and meeting for worship were transferred to Middletown Monthly Meeting (Bucks County). After the Hicksite Separation of 1827, Orthodox members were transferred to Middletown Preparative Meeting. The Hicksite preparative meeting was transferred to Bristol Monthly Meeting in 1874. In 1930, the preparative meeting began to be held on an annual basis. It was probably discontinued soon after that date.

Records of Bristol Preparative Meeting (Hicksite), include: minutes, 1777-1933; women's minutes, 1861-1877; burial records, 1832-1863; account book, 1821-1926; queries, ca. 1777; deeds and property papers, 1711-1803; papers concerning Desborough property dispute, 1913-1915; miscellaneous papers, 1783-1818 & 1869; Bristol Friends' School account book, 1875-1912.

Deposit

Publisher
Quaker Meeting Records at Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections and Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Finding Aid Date
2011
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research. Access may be provided via digital or microfilm copy, per repository policy.

Use Restrictions

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.

Collection Inventory

Biographical / Historical

At the time of the Separation in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting in 1827-28, pre-Separation vital records were generally retained by the branch with which the recorder was affiliated. Researchers are advised to consider vital records which span this period carefully: in many cases, the meeting without the original records may have reconstructed these records for its membership only, giving the impression that individuals in the other branch were never members.

RG2/Ph/B86 3.2. Births, 1782.
General

In Bucks Q. M. register, 1889 ms. copy, p. 198. Original register is in extremely fragile condition and cannot be filmed or handled.

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph50
  2. Haverford: No Film
Physical Description

1 v. ; 39 cm

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Pre-Separation

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B86 3.2. Burials (Bristol, PA), 1760-1782.
General

In Bucks Q. M. register, 1889 ms. copy, p. 197-198. Original register is in extremely fragile condition and cannot be filmed or handled.

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph50
  2. Haverford: No Film
Physical Description

1 v. ; 39 cm

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Pre-Separation

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B77 3.3. Burials, 1832-1863.
Scope and Contents

Record of interments at Friends' burial ground in Bristol, Pa. Includes separate lists for Friends and non-Friends.

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph38
  2. Haverford: Microfilm 156
Physical Description

1 v. ; 20 cm.

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Hicksite

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B86 3.2. Deaths, 1760-1782.
General

In Bucks Q. M. register, 1889 ms. copy. Original register is in extremely fragile condition and cannot be filmed or handled.

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph50
  2. Haverford: No Film
Physical Description

1 v. ; 20 cm.

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Pre-Separation

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

Biographical / Historical

Official records of proceedings kept for all Quaker business meetings. Only Quakers could participate. It has responsibility for care of members, authorizes removals and marriages, maintains discipline, considers the queries, manages meeting property, fosters social concerns, and reports regularly to the quarterly meeting. Beginning at the end of the 19th century, men and women ceased to hold separate business meetings, meeting instead in joint session.

RG2/Ph/B77 1.1, 1.3-1.5. Minutes, 1777-1933.
Scope and Contents

Minutes as follows: [1777-1779, 1790-1793, 1793-1795, 1796-1800, 1800-1802, 1802-1804], 1811-1820, 1822-1869, 1869-1926

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph38
  2. Haverford: Microfilm 156
Physical Description

4 folders

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Pre-Separation/Hicksite

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B77 1.2. Minutes [loose], 1805-1811.
Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph37
  2. Haverford: Microfilm 158
Physical Description

1 folder

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Pre-Separation

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B77 1.6. Minutes [loose], 1927-1933.
Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph37
  2. Haverford: Microfilm 158
Physical Description

1 folder

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Hicksite

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B77 2.1-2.2. Minutes, 1861-1877.
Scope and Contents

Minutes as follows: 2.1 1861 8mo 21-1872 6mo 26; 2.2 1873 1mo 29-1877 8mo 22.

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph38
  2. Haverford: Microfilm 156
Physical Description

2 v. ; 21 cm.

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Hicksite

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B77 4.1. Account Book, 1821-1926.
Scope and Contents

Includes statements concerning meeting's property, 1823, 1827, 1830.

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph 38
  2. Haverford: Microfilm 156
Physical Description

1 v. ; 33 cm.

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Pre-Separation/Hicksite

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B77 4.4++ and 4.5. Deeds, 1711-1914.
Folder RG2 OVERSIZE
Scope and Contents

Includes: Deed for land in Bristol, Samuel Carpenter to Joseph Kirkbirde et.al., 1711; declaration of draft, Joseph Kirkbride et.al. to the Quarterly Meeting in Bucks COunty, 1711; deed for land for school under the care of Bristol Preparative Meeting, John and Hannah Pemberton et.al. to WIlliam Bidgood et.al., 1793; 1738 5mo 18, 5mo 19; 1774 12mo 7, 12mo 18; 1789 1mo 23, 1mo 24; 1814 7mo 9; 1815 9mo 30; 1820 11mo 22; 1824 3mo 17; 1830 1mo 20, 2mo 17; 1837 10mo 4; 1857 6mo 18; 1860 5mo 13; 1889 6mo 21.

Physical Description

1 oversize folder (4.4) and 1 regular folder

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Pre-Separation/Hicksite

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B77 4.3. Miscellaneous deed extracts and a memorandum, 1800-1803 & n.d.
Scope and Contents

Includes miscellaneous extracts of deed originally recorded in 1711 and a memorandum concerning property.

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph37
  2. Haverford: Microfilm 158
Physical Description

1 folder (3 items)

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Pre-Separation

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B77 4.2. Desborough lot property dispute records, 1913-1915.
Scope and Contents

Legal papers and correspondence concerning a dispute over the Desborough Lot.

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph37
  2. Haverford: Microfilm 158
Physical Description

1 folder (5 items)

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Hicksite

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B77 5.1. Miscellaneous Papers, 1783-1818.
Scope and Contents

Includes a minute to the monthly meeting concerning an alteration to the meeting house (1817/18), fragment of the extracts of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (1805?), and a minute from Falls Monthly Meeting concerning the will of John Baldwin (1783).

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph37
  2. Haverford: Microfilm 158
Physical Description

1 folder (3 items)

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Pre-Separation

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B77 5.2. Miscellaneous Papers, 1869.
Scope and Contents

Includes a list of money collected by the preparative meeting committee and a report concerning school age children from Bristol Preparative Meeting, 1869.

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph37
  2. Haverford: Microfilm 158
Physical Description

1 folder (2 items)

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Hicksite

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

RG2/Ph/B77 5.3. Queries, [ca. 1777].
Scope and Contents

Title from cover.

Existence and Location of Copies

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

  1. Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph38
  2. Haverford: Microfilm 156
Physical Description

1 v. ; 21 cm.

Material Specific Details

Affiliation: Pre-Separation

Physical Location

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

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