FAQ: N.C. Quaker Genealogy
Where was this Quaker meeting located?
Monthly Meetings of North America: A Quaker Index, by Thomas Hill (1998), provides a comprehensive index to the Quaker monthly meetings in North America. This index is now available online at www.quakermeetings.com. Each entry contains information about the meeting’s surviving records and where they are located. Meetings are listed alphabetically by name with cross-references for former or informal names. A geographical index is located in the back.
Where are the original Quaker records for this meeting outside of the southeastern United States?
Monthly Meetings of North America: A Quaker Index, by Thomas Hill (1998), provides a comprehensive index to the Quaker monthly meetings in North America (available online at www.quakermeetings.com). Each entry contains information about the meeting’s surviving records and where they are located. Meetings are listed alphabetically by name with cross-references for former or informal names. A geographical index is located in the back.
Why can’t I find my ancestor’s name in Hinshaw or other resources in your collection? My grandmother said he was Quaker.
1. If a meeting’s records have not fully survived or if membership records were infrequently updated, sometimes individuals are not listed in the materials we have.
2. Often individuals or families lived in or near a Quaker community and may have attended worship but never joined. The Quaker records only list those who formally joined in membership. We do not have lists or records of attenders, some of whom considered themselves Quaker if nothing else.
My research shows that my ancestor lived in both Rowan and Guilford Counties but I can’t find when he moved. What do you suggest?
Consult the gray notebook of counties on our “ready reference shelf.” County boundaries change and new counties are established. Some of the areas which are now part of Guilford County were originally in Rowan County prior to Guilford’s founding. Therefore, the family member may have been in the same location but the county lines changed over time.
Land research shows that my ancestor lived in this western Piedmont area but they are listed as members of a meeting in the central Piedmont. What does this mean?
Individuals were members of the monthly meeting nearest to them. As Friends moved to the frontier they maintained membership at the farthest west meeting. In some cases, it might be several years until an area became settled enough to support a new monthly meeting closer to the new areas. Therefore, individuals could have their membership at New Garden which was centered in Guilford County but actually live one or two counties west.
Where would that have been in Guilford County during my ancestor’s time?
Consult the Guilford County Historical Documentation Map by Fred Hughes. A copy is on display over the Abstract shelves. The map can be placed on a table for easier viewing. Copies of the map can be purchased at Greensboro Public Library.
Do you have any maps for sale?
No, we no longer sell any maps. The Guilford County Hughes Map is available for sale at Greensboro Public Library.
How can I acquire this family history?
Most of the family histories in our collection were privately printed. We do not have information about how to acquire them. Researchers should consult the title page and other front pages of the book to see if any order information is given.
