Quakers in Skipton and Knaresborough

[dobbin]

I have some information about a marriage of some of my ancestors who were Quakers, but I am a little unsure as to where the marriage took place. I have something that tells me they married 28 Oct 1703 event place Skipton, but also have something else that says event date 28 Oct 1703 Knaresborough. Now I know  things were covered by the Knaresborough monthly meetings but does this mean they were actually married in Skipton? If so would it have been their usual meeting house place or somewhere else?

[SmallTownGirl]

Is this of any help/interest ?

http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/nostalgia/nostalgia_history/8843304.The_dissenter_who_founded_town___s_first__Quaker_house/

[dobbin]

Hi SmallTownGirl, thanks. I've been reading that this morning it is very interesting and could apply but I just need to try and find out if they were actually married in Skipton first.

[arthurk]

I'm pretty certain that they would have been married in Skipton. Have a look at this page on the Quaker FHS site - http://www.qfhs.co.uk/public_html/Quaker_info/organisation.htm

To summarise (as I understand it), births and marriages were recorded where they took place, and then the records were copied into the Monthly Meeting registers as well, which is why there are often duplicate entries for the same date in places that they'd be unlikely to visit on the same day. I think sometimes entries were copied into Quarterly Meeting registers as well, meaning potentially 3 copies of a single event.

In this case, the Monthly Meeting was Knaresborough, and the Preparative (local) Meeting was in Skipton.

You might like to know of a couple of useful sites for Yorkshire Quaker research:
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/254/search_special_collections/148/summary_guide_to_the_quaker_archives/1
and
http://www.hull.ac.uk/oldlib/archives/quaker/index.htm

Arthur

[dobbin]

Hi Arthur
Thank you, I Have just found a document that tells me they were actually married in Hardcastle Garth but thank you tremendously for those links you have supplied.

I knew of monthly Quaker meetings but thank you for explaining why there could have been three entries (this one there were 3, Knaresborough, Skipton and Hardcastle Garth) I was confused somewhat by the double and triple entries.

 I have uncovered quite a few Quakers in my ancestry this afternoon which need researching so those links are a great start, thanks again.

[arthurk]

I think you might know more than me now. I haven't heard of Hardcastle Garth - is it the name of a meeting house, and if so how does it fit in to the hierarchy of meetings?

It may not help you directly, but I have a transcript/index of Quaker burials registered by the Settle Monthly Meeting, 1757-1837, which I'd be happy to check for you. There doesn't seem to be anyone from Skipton, though there are people from villages not too far away.

Arthur

[dobbin]

Hi Arthur

Hardcastle Garth ( I have learned over the weekend) is in Hartwith cum Winsley, North Yorkshire and has a lot to do with the Hardcastle family. I started by looking on google and there are one or two good pictures of Hardcastle Garth on there. The local authority is Harrogate council. They held meetings there I believe, and marriages obviously took place there as mine states 'at the house of Peter Hardcastle' There was a friends burying ground there which I have since discovered some of mine are buried there. It appears to have been a community I think, I have looked at lots of documents over the weekend and seen the same names appearing over and over again. Tracing further back my search is beginning to lead me now to Low Ellington which also had a burying ground. The Quaker records I've looked at are excellent for the information they hold within them. I am now looking into the areas around Hardcastle Garth as I still have much to learn I think.

[arthurk]

Well, that's all new to me, so thank you. The National Index of Parish Registers mentions meetings in Hampsthwaite (later known as Darley) and Dacre, so it might have been connected with one of those.

From what you say, I suspect (but I'm not an expert) that the bride and groom belonged to different meetings, though both under the Knaresborough MM. Both meetings recorded the marriage, as being of one of their members, though it would have actually taken place in only one of them, and then there would be the third record at the MM.

Arthur

[dobbin]

Hi Arthur
I've just read that Peter Hardcastle's House was used 24 times for marriages, and yes you are right I have Dacre too.

http://www.walkerfamhistory.talktalk.net/Quakerhistory.htm