The role religion plays in genealogy is quite pronounced. In this blog I will be detailing two major groups: Quakers and Shakers.
Quakers
Quakers (also called Friends) are members of a Christiandenomination, called the Religious Society of Friends that was formed in England during the mid-17th century by George Fox. Fox believed that it was possible to have a close connection with Christ without formal preaching by clergy. Quaker beliefs are different between individuals based on each follower’s personal relationship with God.
Traditionally, Quakers attend congregational gatherings, referred to as Monthly Meetings, where they sit in silence, waiting for the word of God to speak to them from within. If a Quaker feels compelled to share insight with others, it is done so spontaneously while the others listen. Many of today’s African and American Quakers have programmed worship, in which a pastor leads the congregation with a prepared sermon.
Historically, each Monthly Meeting often recorded the birth, death, and marriage records of Quakers within their congregation. Records are now archived within several repositories worldwide. Two major repositories for Quaker records are the Friends Historical Library in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania and the Haverford College Library in Haverford, Pennsylvania. Many records have also been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Shakers
Shakers are members of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. The religion was founded in England during the mid-17th century by a small group of former Quakers, led by Ann Lees. The group referred to themselves as Shaking Quakers because singing and dancing were an important aspect of their worship.
Ann Lees, along with her followers, settled in America in 1774. Many people converted to the Shaker religion during the late 17th century through the mid-18th century, when the religion was at its peak. Groups of Shakers began to withdraw from non-believers of their religion by building small communities (called societies), between Maine and Indiana, where they lived and worked. According to a 2006 article by the Boston Globe, only one community of Shakers, consisting of four members, remain today. They reside in Sabbothday Lake, Maine.
Shakers believe in a life of celibacy, and have always relied on converts and adopted children to sustain their religion. With only four Shakers remaining, it is a reality that the religion may be extinct sometime in the next few decades.
On a recent visit to a Shaker village in Enfield, New Hampshire, I was told by my tour guide (I believe his name was Richard) that, “Nobody was ever born a Shaker.” This is due to their belief of celibacy, and therefore, if you are searching for ancestors who followed the Shaker religion, you should begin your search for birth records the same way you normally would (e.g. at town clerk’s offices, churches, or vital record archives). Unfortunately, I have been unable to find out where (or if) death records for Shakers are kept (if you know where, please leave a comment). However, many Shaker records are located at the Shaker Library in New Gloucester, Maine.