Main content
Hockessin Monthly Meeting Records (including Center)
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
Center Monthly Meeting was established in 1807 by Western Quarterly Meeting out of Kennett Monthly Meeting. Its first business sessions were held in 1808. The Orthodox monthly meeting was merged into Kennett Monthly Meeting (Orthodox) in 1831. Center Monthly Meeting (Hicksite) changed its name to Hockessin Monthly Meeting in 1955. Hockessin is currently an active monthly meeting.
Records include: minutes of the pre-Separation meeting, 1808-1827; minutes of the Hicksite men's meeting, 1827-1893; minutes of the Hicksite joint (men's and women's) meeting, 1893-1955; minutes of the united meeting since 1955 (with gaps); vital records since 1740; minutes of the Hicksite women's meeting, 1827-1893; minutes of the pre-Separation woman's meeting, 1808-1827; minutes of the Orthodox women's meeting, 1827-1831; account books and other financial records; property records including a 2007 meeting house preservation plan; and First Day School minutes, 1887-1899. Several 20th-century clerk's files are also present, along with the meeting newsletter 1956-ongoing (with gaps).
Deposit
Organization
- Hockessin Monthly Meeting of Friends
- Center Monthly Meeting (Society of Friends : 1807-1827 : New Castle County, Del.)
- Center Monthly Meeting of Friends (Hicksite : 1827-1955 : New Castle County, Del.)
- Center Monthly Meeting (Society of Friends : Orthodox 1827-1831 : New Castle County, Del.)
Subject
Place
- 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
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.
Includes note: "Containing all dates of marriages, births, deaths, and certificates of removal from the meeting, so far as recorded. Compiled from the records about 1868" [by Gilbert Cope].
Physical Description1 volume
Material Specific DetailsPre/H
Births abstracted from the records of Center Monthly Meeting, 1740-1887. Also included is an abstract of deaths, 1790-1888 and an abstract of marriages, 1808-1888. Copy 1 imperfect: pp. 1-2 wanting; listing begins with name "Cloud". With: Deaths [abstract], 1790-1888--Marriages [abstract], 1808-1888.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
p. 3-13 (in folder)
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Pre-Separation/Hicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Record of Births of Hockessin Monthly Meeting and its predecessors, 1740- 1958. Also included are deaths, 1790-1947 and marriages records, 1808-1960. With: Deaths, 1790-1947 -- marriage records, 1808-1960. Includes index.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
- Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph673
- Haverford: No Film
35 p.
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Pre-Separation/H/United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Births-abstract, 1790-1887, Deaths-abstract, 1790-1888, Marriages-abstract 1808-1888. Pages 1-2 missing.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
- Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph673
- Haverford: No Film
1 v.
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Pre-Separation/Hicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
"Buried in Center Graveyard near - Centreville, Delaware, 6 miles from Wilmington, Delaware Nov. 1937." -- Cover.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
8 lists (in folder)
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Pre-Separation/Hicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Marriage register furnished by the State Registrar of Delaware for reporting marriages. Contains stubs for marriage certificates and other pertinent marriage papers, 1935-1948.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
1 v. (forms) + 9 items laid in or stapled.
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Hicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
- Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph673
- Haverford: No Film
1 v.
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Pre-Separation/Hicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Includes several runs of inactive membership record forms. 3.15: former members released, resigned, or transfered out circa 1975-2000; 3.16: deceased members as of approximately 1998; 3.17-3.18: alphabetical run of forms for members resigned, released, or deceased as of March 1996; 3.19: inactive member records from the late 1800s to 1950s.
Physical Description5 folders
Material Specific DetailsHicksite/United
Membership correspondence, includes certificates of removal, resignation letters, etc.
Physical Description2 folders
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Hicksite/United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
1 folder
Material Specific DetailsUnited
Membership statistics forms, supplementary queries, summaries, correspondence and related materials, 1923, 1945-60. Also includes a list of minor members, 1956, with names of children, birth dates, etc.
Physical Description1 folder
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Hicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
1 folder
List of certificates of removal issued to members transferring to other meetings, 1808-1859.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
6 p. (in folder)
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Pre-Separation/Hicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Meeting's copies of certificates of removal issued to members transferring to other meetings, 1808-1938.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
- Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph673
- Haverford: No Film
1 v.
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Pre-Separation/Hicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
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.
Minutes of Hockessin Monthly Meeting and its predecessors since 1808. Included are: Minutes of Center Monthly Meeting's pre-Separation men's meeting, 1808-1827; minutes of the Hicksite men's meeting, 1827-1893; minutes of the Hicksite joint meeting of men and women Friends, 1893-1955; minutes of the united meeting since 1955. Volumes include: 1.1 1808-1873; 1.2 1874- 1921; 1.3 1913-1923 (rough); 1.4 1922-1951; 1.5 1952-1962; 1.6 1963-1968; 1.7 1970-1974; 1.8 1986-1987; 1.9 1988-1990.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s)
- Swarthmore: Microfilm MR -Ph 89 (1808-1921)
- Haverford: No Film
9 v. + 2 folders
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Pre-Separation/H/United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
3 folders
Material Specific DetailsUnited
1 folder
Material Specific DetailsUnited
Includes reports to the meeting for business from committees and treasurer.
Physical Description1 folder
Material Specific DetailsUnited
Minutes of the pre-Separation meeting of women friends, 1808-1827 and minutes of the Orthodox meeting of women friends, 1827-1831.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
- Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph89
- Haverford: No Film
1 v. + Index
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Pre-Separation/Orthodox
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Minutes of the Hicksite meeting of women friends, 1827 9mo 3-1893 4mo3.
Joint sessions with men began on 5mo8 1893.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s)
- Swarthmore: Microfilm MR-Ph89
- Haverford: No Film
1 v.
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Hicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Available on microfilm in the following location(s)
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
1 v.
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Pre-Separation/Hicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Summary information on bequests & donations, capital & accumulative funds, and special project funds, ca. 1960.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s)
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
1 folder
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
1 folder
Material Specific DetailsUnited
Available on microfilm in the following location(s)
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
1 v.
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Available on microfilm in the following location(s)
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
1 folder
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Deeds, declarations of trust and mortgage papers of Hockessin Monthly Meeting, 1720-1944. Also included is a typescript, "Some interesting facts about Centre Meeting."
Physical Description26 items (in 2 oversize folders 5.1-5.2 and 2 regular folders 5.3-5.4)
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Pre-Separation/Hicksite
1 folder
In 2006, Frens and Frens, LLC [Restoration Architects] prepared a "Preliminary Architectural Program" for Hockessin Meeting about current and future needs for the Meeting House. In 2007, the "Master Plan" was produced by Frens and Frens in association with Spotts, Stevens, and McCoy, Inc.
Physical Description1 folder
Includes officer lists, nomination committee reports, and charges for Recorder and Oversight Committee.
Physical Description1 folder
Material Specific DetailsUnited
Minutes of Center Monthly Meeting's First Day School, 6.2 4mo17 1887-7mo15 1888; 6.3 7mo7 1889-12mo21 1890; 6.4 4mo13 1898-4mo15 1900.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s):
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
3 v. ; 25 cm. or smaller
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Hicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Notes, rough minutes of Corporation Trustees, etc. of Hockessin Monthly Meeting, 1957-1961.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s)
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
1 folder
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Description based on: February 5, 1956; title from caption.
Physical Description2 folders
Material Specific DetailsUnited
Bound volume of newsletters of Hockessin meeting with clippings and program of 1980 anniversary celebration and a history of the meeting by Sanford B. Smith.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s)
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
1 volume
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Hicksite/United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Miscellaneous histories of Hockessin Monthly Meeting, 1930-1980 & n.d. Includes works prepared by Sanford B. Smith, 1980, S. Ralph Passmore, 1962, and Dorothea C. Morse, n.d. Also includes notes and newspaper articles.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s)
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
1 folder
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Hicksite/United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Papers of Lewis L. Palmer, Clerk of Hockessin Monthly Meeting, 1946-1960. Includes quarterly reports, 1946-47 & 1952-58, rough minutes, 1957-60 (including minutes not represented in the bound volume for 1952-1962), and a memorial minute for Gail Hastings, 1960.
Available on microfilm in the following location(s)
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
1 folder
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Hicksite/United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Includes plans to boost declining membership and other forms of outreach, as well as Western Quarterly Meeting Handbook.
Physical Description1 folder
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: Hicksite/United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Available on microfilm in the following location(s)
- Swarthmore: No Film
- Haverford: No Film
1 folder
Material Specific DetailsAffiliation: United
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Includes the bicentennial program, a memorial ribbon, and a panoramic photograph of the attendees (previously labeled with some names in silver marker)
Physical Description1 folder
Material Specific DetailsHicksite
Physical LocationFriends Historical Library of Swarthmore College