The Religious Society of Friends was established by George Fox during a religious awakening in northwest England in approximately 1652. Members of the society became known as "Quakers" because some of them trembled during religious experiences. They called for honesty, nonviolence, justice, simple living, and toleration. Members would sit quietly in meeting and reflect upon God. They rejected military service, the bearing of arms, formal oaths, capital punishment, and the slave trade. Large communities of Quakers settled in Pennsylvania, founded by Quaker William Penn, and in Rhode Island. Their record keeping system begins in the 1650s. Births are recorded by family name, not by date of birth. All Death records are not recorded, if members had no issue. Early gravestones were thought to be an expression of vanity, so some used unmarked stones to signify a burial site. Later simple monuments would identify only the name, age, and birth and death dates of the deceased. Marriages, recorded in the brides meeting, include the entire marriage certificate and of witnesses.

Quaker records can be found in William Wade Hinshaws six-volume An Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy (1936-50. Reprint. Baltimore: GPC, 1994); the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College; Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Meeting); and the Rhode Island Historical Society (New England Yearly Meeting).

Repositories with Quaker Records, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, E-mail: friends@swarthmore.edu; Haverford College Library, Magill Library, The Quaker Collection, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041-1392; Rhode Island Historical Society Library, 121 Hope St., Providence, RI 02906.

Abbreviations- altm = at liberty to marry | att = attached to, attended | BG = burial grounds | cd = contrary to the Discipline | chr = charter | con = condemned | dec = deceased | dis = disowned, disowned for | div = divorced | dp = dropped plain dress and/or speech | dr = drinking spiritous liquor to excess | dtd = dated | end = endorsed | FBG = Friends burial grounds | fam = family | Frds = Friends | jas = joined another society | JP = justice of the peace | ltm = liberated to marry | mbr = member | mcd = married contrary to Discipline | MG = minister of the Gospel | MH = meeting house, church | MM = monthly meeting | mos = married out of society | mou = married out of unity | neg att = neglecting attendance | ou = out of unity | PM = preparative meeting | QM = quarterly meeting | rcd = recorded | ret mbrp = retained membership | rm = reported married | rmt = reported married to | rst = reinstate, reinstated | twp = township | uc = under care (of mtg) | unm = unmarried | upl = using profane language | w/c = with consent of | YM = yearly meeting |

German and Swiss Palatines "Friendship" Passengers to Philadelphia October 15, 1727