South Wales Society of Friends

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s): D/D SF

Title: South Wales Society of Friends

Date(s): 1682 - 1949

Level of description: Fonds

Extent and medium of the unit of description: 60 volumes

CONTEXT AREA

Name of creator(s):

Administrative/Biographical history: The Society of Friends (or Quakers) is a Christian sect that was founded (c.1650) in England by George Fox (1624-1691). Throughout their history the sect has been associated with humanitarian activities and during the 18th and early 19th centuries were involved in the anti-slavery movement. They established their first Yearly Meeting in Wales in 1668, with quarterly meetings taking place in North Wales (comprising Merionethshire, Shropshire, Montgomeryshire), South Wales (Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire & Glamorganshire) and Monmouthshire (comprising Monmouthshire & Radnorshire) In 1791 Monmouthshire quarterly meeting merged with the South Wales division and by 1797 these had been abolished in favour of Half Years Meetings which ran from 1797-1832). Throughout their history it was customary for each Quaker meeting to keep volumes of writings, such as minute books and registers of births, marriages and burials. During meetings testimonies about people's hardships and persecutions were recorded in what became known as 'books of sufferings'. These later became documents for recording concerns about global humanitarian issues and frequently included details about Quaker campaigns for the abolition of the slave trade and slavery

Archival history: The Society of Friends (Quakers) records relating to Wales were deposited at the Glamorgan record office on seventeen occasions between 1950 and 1998. Lists were prepared after each individual deposit and the entire collection was re-listed and rearranged at the Glamorgan Record Office in May 1998.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer:

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: The records of the South Wales Society of Friends are predominantly minute books for yearly, half-yearly, quarterly and monthly regional meetings dating from 1682 to 1949 and arranged under the following regional sub-headings: South Division of Wales; Carmarthenshire; Glamorgan; Monmouthshire; Merioneth and Montgomeryshire; Neath, Pembrokeshire; Swansea; Miscellaneous records, 1695-1807. In addition to minute books the collection also contains epistle books, records of births and burials, correspondence relating to the sale or lease of meeting houses and other properties and records on the schedules of deeds. Out of the 425 listed files within this collection over 70 files contain information on Society of Friends properties in Glamorganshire, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire, Breconshire and South Wales dating from 1777 to 1933 (Files 231-312). The information contained within the minute books for the Women's section of the Society of Friends are the most relevant records for the CASBAH database, as they contain committee reports which document the Society of Friends' support for the abolition of the slave trade. Particular items of note include a report of the 'Committee of the meeting for sufferings appointed to aid in promoting the total abolition of the slave trade and slavery, 1832' contained within the minute book of the half-yearly Meeting of Women Friends, 1808-1832 (Ref: D/D SF 319).

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CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

Conditions governing access: Members of the public can consult this collection in the Document Searchroom of the Glamorgan Record Office, on completion of a requisition form. Visitors are advised to contact the Office in advance to reserve a place in the searchroom. Opening hours are as follows: Tuesday-Friday: 9.30am-5.00pm (4.30pm on Friday); Late opening, by appointment, Wednesday 5.00pm - 7.00pm; Closed Mondays and Bank Holidays.

Conditions governing reproduction: © Society of Friends (Quakers)

Language/scripts of material: English

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids: Printed list

ALLIED MATERIALS AREA

Existence and location of originals: Glamorgan Record Office, The Glamorgan Building, King Edward Vll Avenue, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NE.

Existence and location of copies:

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DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: 24 July 2001

Interest: Black

Specific group:

Subjects

Religions

Abolition of slavery

Anti-slavery movements

Slavery

Personal/Corporate names

South Wales Society of Friends

Places

Wales, United Kingdom