DORKING AND HORSHAM MONTHLY MEETING OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (QUAKERS) AND PREDECESSORS: RECORDS

The following is a detailed summary of the main series of records:

6189/1/ DORKING MONTHLY MEETING AND REIGATE MONTHLY MEETING 1650-1849
Between 1668 and 1814 Dorking Monthly Meeting included Dorking, Capel and Reigate, except for the period 1715-1725 when Reigate held separate meetings. Indeed it seems that it was called Reigate Monthly Meeting occasionally before 1715 - see -/1/2/3. For abstracts of deeds relating to Dorking and Capel Meeting Houses and burial grounds, see -/12/5.

6189/1/1/ MINUTES AND ASSOCIATED PAPERS 1668-1814

6189/1/1/ Men's Monthly Meetings 1668-1814

6189/1/1/ Women's Monthly Meetings 1678-1814
The distinction here between draft and final minutes is uncertain. When the split between Reigate and Dorking and Capel occurred in 1715, Reigate Monthly Meeting appears to have retained the original minute book, [-/-/-/20], finishing it in 1721. They also seem to have used a new draft book [-/-/-/24]. Dorking and Capel kept the old draft book [-/-/-/22] and finished it in 1715. No fair minutes for Reigate Monthly Meeting, 1721-1725, have been located. Reigate, Dorking and Capel Monthly Meetings reunited in 1725.

6189/1/1/ Ministers' and Elders' Meetings 1762-1798
For minutes of Dorking Ministers' and Elders' meetings, 1798-1821, see -/3/1/9. For minutes of Dorking and Horsham Ministers' and Elders' meetings, 1822-1841, see -/5/1/24.

6189/1/1/ Associated Papers 1721-1715

6189/1/2/ MEMBERSHIP INCLUDING SUFFERINGS 1650-1849

6189/1/2/ Membership, settlements and removals 1695-1791

6189/1/2/ Births, marriages and burials 1650-1849
For transcripts of birth, death and marriage registers of Reigate Religious Society of Friends, 1650-1677, see 3548/-. For returns of Quaker burials in Reigate parish, 1813-1840, see P49/2/15-16.

6189/1/2/ Sufferings 1669-1813
Sufferings registers relate to imprisonments and distraints of Friends.

6189/1/2/ Apprenticeship 1709

6189/1/3/ FINANCE 1692-1791

6189/2/ HORSHAM MONTHLY MEETING 1655-1814
Horsham Monthly Meeting officially met from 1668 until 1814, when it joined with Dorking Monthly Meeting. The Horsham Monthly Meeting included the meetings at Charlwood in Surrey and Horsham, Ifield, East Grinstead, Shipley, Thakeham, Patch Gate and Warminghurst in Sussex.

6189/2/1/ MINUTES 1668-1814

6189/2/1/ Men's Monthly Meeting 1668-1814

6189/2/1/ Women's Monthly Meetings 1675-1814

6189/2/1/ Ministers' and Elders' Meetings 1768-1811

6189/2/2/ MEMBERSHIP INCLUDING SUFFERINGS 1655-1805

6189/2/2/ Settlements and removals 1761-1805

6189/2/2/ Sufferings 1655-1751
For later sufferings, 1794-1812, see -/5/2/62 [188]

6189/3/ DORKING AND HORSHAM MONTHLY MEETING 1798-1841
Dorking Monthly Meeting and Horsham Monthly Meeting were united in 1814. For Dorking and Horsham Monthly Meeting sufferings, 1813-1840, see -/5/2/94 [188].

6189/3/1/ MINUTES AND ASSOCIATED PAPERS 1798-1841

6189/3/1/ Men's Monthly Meetings 1814-1841

6189/3/1/ Women's Monthly Meetings 1814-1841

6189/3/1/ Ministers' and Elders' Meetings 1798-1821
For minutes of Dorking Ministers' and Elders' meetings, 1762-1798, see -/1/1/31. For minutes of Dorking and Horsham Ministers' and Elders' meetings, 1822-1841, see -/5/1/24 [103].

6189/3/2/ MEMBERSHIP 1803-1838

6189/3/2/ Membership, settlements and removals 1803-1838

6189/3/2/ Births 1827-1837

6189/3/2/ Marriages 1817-1838

6189/3/2/ Burials 1828-1837

6189/3/3/ FINANCE 1811-?1840s

6189/4/ GUILDFORD MONTHLY MEETING 1656-1840
Guildford Monthly Meeting included Guildford, Godalming, Worplesdon, Shere and Binscombe Meetings. Guildford Monthly Meeting held its own meetings until 1841, when it joined Dorking and Horsham Monthly Meeting. For records of Guildford Preparative and Monthly Meetings, 1701-1984, see G124, G134, 1623, 1659, 5021 and 5245. For abstracts of deeds relating to Guildford, Godalming, Binscombe, Shere and Worplesdon Meeting Houses and burial grounds see -/12/5.

6189/4/ BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND BURIALS 1792-1840

6189/4/ SUFFERINGS 1656-1756

6189/5/ DORKING, HORSHAM AND GUILDFORD MONTHLY MEETING (1664)-1991
Guildford Monthly Meeting joined Dorking and Horsham Monthly Meeting in 1841.

6189/5/1/ MINUTES 1822-1959

6189/5/1/ Men's Monthly Meetings, from 1907 General Monthly Meetings 1841-1959
Men's and Women's Monthly Meetings united in 1907.

6189/5/1/ Indexes 1880-1907

6189/5/1/ Women's Monthly Meetings 1841-1907
The Women's Monthly Meetings united with that of the men in 1907.

6189/5/1/ Ministers' and Elders' Meetings 1822-1906

6189/5/1/ Overseers' Meetings 1928-1943

6189/5/1/ Dorking Monthly Meeting Men's Adult School Committee 1907-1929

6189/5/2/ MEMBERSHIP INCLUDING SUFFERINGS (1664)-1991

6189/5/2/ Membership, settlements and removals 1824-1961
For lists of applications for membership or withdrawal from the Dorking, Horsham and Guildford Monthly Meeting, 1944-52, see -/5/1/15 [46].

6189/5/2/ Births 1839-1959

6189/5/2/ Marriages 1840-1967
All marriage registers contain entries relating to marriages solemnized at Capel, Dorking, Godalming, Guildford Holy Trinity, Haslemere, Horsham, Ifield, Reigate, Stoke and Thakeham meeting houses.

6189/5/2/ Burial registers (1664)-1893
For plans of Guildford, Dorking, Horsham, Ifield, Reigate and Thakeham burial grounds, see -/12/-.

6189/5/2/ Burial notes 1838-1961

6189/5/2/ Sufferings 1794-1873
For earlier Sufferings, 1655-1751, see -/2/2/4-6.

6189/5/3/ FINANCE 1855-1949

6189/5/4/ SCHOOLS 1872

6189/5/5/ CLERK'S PAPERS 1890-1952

6189/5/6/ NEWSLETTERS 1931-1960

6189/6/ DORKING AND HORSHAM MONTHLY MEETING 1961-1991
Guildford was detached from Dorking, Horsham and Guildford Monthly Meeting in 1962 and joined with Godalming Monthly Meeting to form Guildford and Godalming Monthly Meeting.

6189/6/ MEMBERSHIP 1962-1979

6189/6/ NEWSLETTERS 1961-1989

6189/6/ CLERK'S PAPERS 1991

6189/7/ DORKING AND CAPEL PREPARATIVE MEETING AND DORKING PREPARATIVE MEETING 1873-1966

6189/8/ REIGATE PREPARATIVE MEETING 1791-1966
Reigate Men's and Women's Preparative Meetings united in April 1878 (see -/-/4 below [212]).

6189/9/ HORSHAM PREPARATIVE MEETING 1801-1963

6189/10/ IFIELD PREPARATIVE MEETING 1906-1962

6189/11/ THAKEHAM PREPARATIVE MEETING 1869-1892

6189/12/ PROPERTY, INCLUDING MEETING HOUSES AND BURIAL GROUNDS (1673)-1987
For historical and architectural details of all the below meeting houses, including plans (except Horne), see David M Butler, The Quaker Meeting Houses of Britain, vols I-II (Friends Historical Society, 1999). For an undated plan of Guildford Meeting House, see -/5/1/3 [36]. For records relating to Guildford Meeting House, 1557-1964, see 5021/-. For deeds relating to Kingston Meeting House, 1779-1909, see 2029/3/1-13. For certificates of dissenting places of worship, including those of the Religious Society of Friends, see QS6/13/1-94.

6189/12/ GENERAL 1689-1975

6189/12/ BLETCHINGLEY 1894-1913

6189/12/ CAPEL (PLEYSTOWE / PLAISTOW) (1673)-1907
Capel Meeting met at Pleystowe Farm until 1724 (Butler, op.cit., p.582). Along with Pleystowe Farm, the burial ground at Plaistow was originally owned by the Bax family but later formed part of the Lyne estate purchased by John Broadwood in 1799. For deeds relating to the burial ground, 1673-1883, see 2185/259 and 2185/Box 76. For notes relating to the history of Plaistow burial ground, see -/12/14. For notes relating to burials in Capel, Plaistow and Dorking burial grounds, see -/12/5 [166]. For a register of 17th-19th century burials at Capel and Plaistow burial grounds, see -/1/2/16 [111].

6189/12/ CHARLWOOD 1675-1940
For a plan of Charlwood burial ground see Zs/262. For extracts of documents relating to the Charlwood estate, see -/12/5.

6189/12/ CHILTINGTON, WEST SUSSEX 1787-1820

6189/12/ DORKING 1747-C.1906
For expenditure relating to the building of the new Dorking Meeting House, 1845, see -/-/10.

6189/12/ GODALMING 1891-1904
For a 19th century plan of Godalming burial ground, see 5202/1. For an undated plan of Godalming burial ground, see -/5/2/77 [133].

6189/12/ HORNE 1728-1938
The Jarvis estate, Horne, was originally owned by John Harris, member of the Horne Meeting. It consisted of a 66 acre farm and was bequeathed to the Horsham Monthly Meeting in his will, c.1728. In 1938, the estate was sold to Mr Horner of Hookstile House, South Godstone. For a register of deeds including details of the Jarvis estate at Horne and Godstone, see -/-/5 [166]. For draft replies to enquiries from the Charity Commissioners regarding the Jarvis estate, c.1846-1861, see -/-/11 [169].

6189/12/ HORSHAM, WEST SUSSEX 1877-1956
For photographs of Horsham Meeting House, 1955-1963, see -/9/7 [53]. For a list and transcripts of deeds relating to Horsham Meeting House, c.1835, see -/-/6-7 [165 Bk 2].

6189/12/ IFIELD, WEST SUSSEX 1855-1955
For trustees accounts relating to Ifield Meeting House, 1675-1786, see -/-/32. For a register of deeds relating to Ifield Meeting House and burial ground, 1835-1891, see -/-/5.

6189/12/ REIGATE 1820-C.1893

6189/12/ THAKEHAM AND COOLHAM, WEST SUSSEX 1752-1987
In 1682 the house of John Shaw at Coolham, Thakeham (now Old House Lane, Coolham), was leased by Thakeham Meeting as a meeting house. In 1692, the property was purchased by the Meeting along with an acre of land, part of which was established as a burial ground. Although nearer to Shipley than Thakeham, the meeting house did not serve the Shipley Meeting, who from 1692, met a few miles away at Warminghurst. The meeting house seems to have fallen into disuse sometime around 1791 but was partly restored in 1869. By 1874, part of the building was being used as a caretaker's house and in 1893, this was extended further. More renovation work was carried out to the meeting house between 1919-1923, and from 1923, part of the building was extended for use as a guest house which became known as known as 'The Blue Idol' (Butler, op.cit., p.611). This name also seems to have been used for the meeting house in general. Further improvements were carried out to the building in the 1930s and 1960s. Confusingly, the building itself is situated within Thakeham but nearer to the hamlet of Coolham, hence the records simultaneously refer to the Blue Idol as being in both Thakeham and Coolham. Coolham is within the ecclesiastical parish of Shipley. In 1891, land at Coolham was purchased and developed into a schoolroom and mission hall. In 1952, the buildings were taken over by West Sussex County Council Education Committee and the Quaker connection ceased. For photographs showing the redecoration of Thakeham Meeting House, 1919, see -/13/11 [111]. For a transcript of a deed relating to Thakeham Meeting House, c.1835, see -/-/6 [165 book 2].

6189/12/ RECORDS 1724-1962

6189/13/ QUARTERLY AND YEARLY MEETINGS (1670)-1958

6189/13/ SURREY QUARTERLY MEETING 1702-1840

6189/13/ SUSSEX AND SURREY QUARTERLY MEETING 1821

6189/13/ SUSSEX, SURREY AND HAMPSHIRE QUARTERLY MEETING 1784-1958
For a list of Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire Quarterly Meeting records deposited at East Sussex Record Office, see -/12/74. For minutes of Surrey, Sussex & Hampshire [Quarterly Meeting] First Day School Association, 1889-1920, see G124/12/2.

6189/13/ LONDON YEARLY MEETING (1670)-1878
For minutes of the London Yearly Meeting, 1801; and queries from Reigate Women's Preparative Meeting to the Yearly Meeting, 1791-1862, see -/8/1 [196].

6189/14/ MISCELLANEOUS 1668-1987

Organisational Structure of the Religious Society of Friends

The administration of the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers, established by George Fox in the mid 17th century, was highly organised, and consisted of a London Yearly Meeting (at national level), a Quarterly Meeting (usually on a county basis, although there were some amalgamations), a Monthly Meeting (at district level) and a Preparative Meeting (usually one congregation but sometimes more).

Each of these meetings kept their own minutes. Monthly Meetings dealt with membership, liability for relief, trusts and legacies, as well as the administration of the meeting houses. Preparative Meetings had a set agenda of 'queries' to be answered, which were laid down by the Yearly Meeting. In the nineteenth century, other committees were formed, such as property, ministries, elders' committees (dealing with certificates for travelling ministers) and overseers' committees (dealing with the physical and moral well-being of members). Most Meetings kept registers of 'sufferings' (persecutions and distraints) and Monthly Meeting registers were required to be kept from 1812.

Dorking, Horsham and Guildford Religious Society of Friends

In 1655, George Fox sent two followers, John Slee and Thomas Lawson, from Cumbria and Lancashire to spread the word of Quakerism in the south east of England. They were termed the 'First Publishers of The Truth' and were to prepare the way for a visit by Fox later that year. Some areas were more receptive than others and unofficial meetings seem to have been held at Dorking, Capel, Horsham and Reigate from this date. When Fox visited the area, he attended an unofficial meeting at Ifield, West Sussex, at the house of Thomas Patching (T W Marsh, Some Records of the Early Friends in Surrey and Sussex (London, 1886), p.25. He also attended a meeting at Reigate at the same time.

Slee and Lawson were succeeded in 1656, by two other followers, Thomas Lacock and Thomas Robinson. They visited local meetings held in farmhouses, barns or in the open air and from this, formal meetings in the area were established (Beryl Williams, Quakers in Reigate, 1655-1955, p.4 (Williams, 1980).

Between 1668 and 1814 Dorking Monthly Meeting included Capel and Reigate apart from between 1715 and 1725, when Reigate held separate Monthly Meetings. Indeed, Dorking Monthly Meeting seems to have been called Reigate occasionally before 1715. In 1814 Dorking Monthly Meeting and Horsham Monthly Meeting joined as Dorking and Horsham Monthly Meeting. Guildford Monthly Meeting joined them in 1841 to form Dorking, Horsham and Guildford Monthly Meeting. In 1962 this divided into Dorking and Horsham Monthly Meeting and Guildford and Godalming Monthly Meeting and remains as such to date.

Between 1668 and 1802, Dorking Monthly Meeting and Guildford Monthly Meeting were included in Surrey Quarterly Meeting. In 1802, the Surrey Quarterly Meeting was abolished due to diminishing numbers, and Dorking and Guildford Monthly Meetings joined Sussex Quarterly Meeting, which became known as the Sussex and Surrey Quarterly Meeting. Other Surrey Monthly Meetings were joined to London and Middlesex Quarterly Meeting at this time. Horsham Monthly Meeting formed part of Sussex Quarterly Meeting. In 1855, part of Hampshire and Dorset were joined to Sussex and Surrey Quarterly Meeting, which then became Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire Quarterly Meeting. From 1966, this became Sussex and Surrey Quarterly/General Meeting.

Meeting houses within current Monthly Meeting administration:
Dorking and Horsham Monthly Meeting: Dorking, Capel (Plaistow), Charlwood, Ifield, Bletchingley (disused 1921), Reigate, Thakeham (Coolham) and Oxted.
Guildford and Godalming Monthly Meeting: Guildford, Godalming, Woking and Farnham.

Quaker burial grounds were established at the following locations:
Binscombe, Capel (Plaistow), Charlwood, Chiltington, Dorking, Guildford, Godalming, Shere, Reigate, Thakeham and Worplesdon.

Pre-1752 dates and the Quaker Calendar

Before 1752, Quakers followed the Julian calendar. However, they objected to using those names of days and months which derived from heathen gods or goddesses, namely, Sunday to Saturday and January to August. The Quaker dating system thereby consisted of numbers only, taking Sunday as First Day. Months were simply First Month, Second Month and so on (often abbreviated to 1 mo, 2 mo etc). As was customary in Britain before 1752, the year was taken to begin on March 25. Therefore, until 1752, February was the twelfth month and March the first month. Thus dates are most commonly written in the form '4 11 mo 1742', which can be translated as 4 Jan 1743. Here, dates of documents have been converted to modern usage for ease of use. Pre-1752 dates in January and February and before March 25 have been assigned to the next year to that given. (Information courtesy of Friends House Library).

Chronology of Monthly Meetings:
1668-1715: Dorking (including Capel & Reigate)
1715-1725: Dorking and Reigate separated
1725-1814: Dorking (including Capel & Reigate)
1814-1841: Dorking & Horsham
1841-1961: Dorking, Horsham & Guildford
1962-current: Dorking & Horsham

Chronology of Quarterly Meetings:
1668-1802: Surrey Quarterly Meeting
1802-1855: Sussex & Surrey Quarterly Meeting
1855-1965: Sussex, Surrey & Hampshire Quarterly Meeting
1965-current: Sussex & Surrey Quarterly General Meeting

Wherever possible, these records have been arranged using the original order in the Dorking Religious Society of Friends, 'Catalogue of Records', 1954, that accompanied this deposit, (see 6189/12/73). Numbers in square brackets after some entries refer to the original numbering of the records by the Dorking Friends, where numbers were allocated. Where no original order could be gauged, records have been arranged in chronological order by Monthly Meeting or function.

Records of Monthly Meetings are followed by those of Preparative Meetings, then property records and a few records relating to yearly and quarterly meetings.

There are no access restrictions.

Deposited by Dorking Religious Society of Friends in September 1993, March 1995 and January 1996.

An item level description of the archive is available on the Surrey History Centre online catalogue

Records are also held at Surrey History Centre for monthly and preparative meetings at Farnham, Godalming, Guildford, Haslemere and Woking. Like the Dorking and Horsham archives, the extensive Guildford records also date from the mid 17th century.

David M Butler, The Quaker Meeting Houses of Britain (Friends Historical Society, 1999);
Jeremy Greenwood, Nonconformity in South-East Surrey with special reference to Reigate, 1988;
T W Marsh, Some Records of the Early Friends in Surrey and Sussex (London, 1886);
J S L Pulford, An Index of Kingston Quakers in the Seventeenth Century (Walton & Weybridge Local History Society, 1971);
Herbert Rowntree, Early Quakerism in Guildford (Rowntree, 1952);
William C Stewart, Notes on the History of Dorking Meeting (paper read at the centenary of Dorking Meeting House, 1946);
Beryl Williams, Quakers in Reigate, 1655-1955 (Williams, 1980);
A Brief Account of the Trust Properties belonging to the Society of Friends within the area of Sussex, Surrey, Hants and part of Dorset Quarterly Meeting (1886);
Short Particulars of the Charities or Trust Properties of or connected with the Society of Friends, wholly or partly within the area of Dorking, Horsham and Guildford Monthly Meeting (1929);
Short particulars of the Charities and Trust Properties and Charities held by the Society of Friends under the Dorking, Horsham and Guildford Monthly Meeting (1954);
Short particulars of the Charities and Trust properties administered by the Dorking and Horsham Monthly Meetings of the Religious Society of Friends (1967)