Author Topic: Quaker Dates  (Read 1946 times)

Offline venelow

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Quaker Dates
« on: Friday 23 February 18 00:36 GMT (UK) »
Hello Rootschatter Friends

I have recently started to look at my step-daughters' Quaker ancestors and thought I had come to grips with the Friends' dating methods.

I have a date of birth of Day 10  Month 1, 1734.  Which I had taken to mean 10th March 1734. This being before the use of the Gregorian Calendar, I would also adjust to being be the year 1734/5.

If this child had arrived a little later, say Day 27, Month 1 I would expect the year for that date to be 1735 as the new year started on  Day 25 Month 1 (month one being the month called March).

The next child born in this family has a birth date of  Day 11 Month 7 1735, Month 7 being September. This is not possible. There are 185 days between 11 March 1734/5 and 11 Sep 1735.
The children have the same mother.

Have I misunderstood Quaker dates in relation to the Julian Calendar?   This was in New York Province. Did the Friends date differently in the American Colonies?

Another child of the same parents was born on Day 25, Month 9 (November) 1751 and has a death date of  Day 15 Month 19nm 1751. Any ideas what nm means?  The date makes no sense to me.

This information comes from a transcription by a well-known Quaker records transcriber who died over seventy years ago. The transcript was filmed by the LDS. I'm not sure if images of originals are available but going to the USA to view the originals is not a option for me.

Have I misunderstood Friends dating methods? Or are the transcripts in error?

Venelow
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Online amondg

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Re: Quaker Dates
« Reply #1 on: Friday 23 February 18 06:57 GMT (UK) »
Could you give us a name say for the 1734 entry so we can try other sources

Offline venelow

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Re: Quaker Dates
« Reply #2 on: Friday 23 February 18 16:08 GMT (UK) »

Hi amondg

Her name is Susanna Irish first child of Jesse Irish. The records are from the Oblong Meeting. However some sources state he lived at Westerly RI when first married and moved to Dutchess County in 1737. I do not know if he was a Friend before he moved to New York.
Susanna died in 1742.   The child born in 1735 was called David. 

I would be interested to know of other sources but my question was about the dates and if I was reading them correctly. 

Venelow
Canada

Online Old Bristolian

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Re: Quaker Dates
« Reply #3 on: Friday 23 February 18 17:36 GMT (UK) »
As I understand it you are reading the dates correctly, certainly from British experience. I wonder if dates were used differently in America at the time, although I can't see why. There are records that give the year as starting on January 1st but I've not come across them for the Quakers

Steve
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Offline Gan Yam

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Re: Quaker Dates
« Reply #4 on: Friday 23 February 18 18:44 GMT (UK) »
There’s a possible explanation on the Swathmore College Quaker site, at the bottom of the page under double dating.

https://www.swarthmore.edu/friends-historical-library/quaker-calendar
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Offline venelow

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Re: Quaker Dates
« Reply #5 on: Friday 23 February 18 21:24 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for your responses Old Bristolian and Gan Yam.
 
Glad to know I have not misunderstood the basics of the dating system pre 1752.  I checked the DOBs in Irish, Willis Luther,. Descendants of John Irish : the immigrant, 1623-1963, and allied families. Freeport, Me.: Dingley Press, 1964.

The Dates of birth of Jesse's children are stated as on the transcript I was looking at. They are rendered in numbers only with no mention of the name of the month. Being an American publication they are ordered as month day year so Susanna's birthday is 1-10-1734.  When transferred to personal family trees Susanna's DOB is most often recorded as Jan 10th 1734.  The strange death date is recorded as 10-15-1751 ( 15d 10m 1751.)  So I suppose the 19nm is a typo.

I think the explanation from the Swarthmore site is the most probable and that Susanna was born 10d 1m (Mar) 1733/4

Thanks again for your input.

Venelow
Canada






Offline BushInn1746

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Re: Quaker Dates
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 28 February 18 21:12 GMT (UK) »
Hello

The names of our Days and Months have pagan or mythical origins and the Quakers decided to use their own numbering systems instead.

Quaker Library UK
The Quaker Library, London, UK, should be able to send you a link to their pdf Guide explaining the dating.

Contact Form (their email address is on the form if you prefer to email)
http://www.quaker.org.uk/resources/library

Just check the date and month system was same around the World.

At some point January became Month 1, or 1 mo.


Old Wills, Inquest, Courts, Affidavits - Where People Usually Swear to Tell the Truth

Just a point of interest, if you come across a document where a person has made an Affirmation, there is a good chance they were a Quaker.

My 4 X Gt. Grandfather was buried by the Quakers in 1845, as "Not in Membership".

Monthly and Quarterly Meetings kept their own extensive Minutes and Records in their Archives, (in the UK, usually one set survive in University or County Archive Collections).

Mark