Irish Quakers: genealogy records
The Quakers of Ireland have left wonderfully rich and complete records
Edmundson has become known as the Father of Irish Quakers and it is largely due to his organisational efforts that today's genealogists have such rich pickings to discover.
Like all Quakers, the Friends of Ireland held both weekly and monthly meetings; births, marriages and deaths were systematically reported at the monthly meetings.
Much to the delight of Quaker genealogy researchers, the majority of these records go back to 1655 or the 1670s, and most continue up to the present without a break.
They are not really like parish registers, though. The main business of the meetings was "to take care of the poor, the fatherless and the widows; to see that marriges were properly solemnised and to watch over the moral conduct of members." The entries do not, therefore, usually contain much more than the names and addresses of the parties concerned.
However, because all Irish Quakers' communities were self-contained, it is usually relatively easy to work out the family connections of the individuals named in the reports. I say usually because some marriages attracted dozens of witnesses and the relationships can take some time to decipher.
Where to locate Irish Quaker records
It's an additional plus for genealogists that the records of this group are not split between countless repositories.
There are just two regional archives:
Links to these sites are in the Resource Box on the main Irish Church Records page, as is a lot of general information about using religious records for genealogical research.
The Quaker village of Ballitore
In 1685 two Quakers arrived in County Kildare with the intention of creating a Quaker community. They found a suitable spot beside the River Griese at Ballitore and started to build what became the only planned Irish Quaker settlement.
Wool and floor mills were built to provide work, the rich farmland provided food, and a school was established in 1726 by Abraham Shakleton (an ancestor of the Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton).
Over the years the school gained such a reputation that even Protestant and Catholic parents sent their children to be educated there. Among its alumni was Edmund Burke, the famous political philosopher.
Today the little village still attracts those that want to learn about the Quakers in Ireland.
It has several restored historical buildings and a Quaker burial ground but the gem is its small museum, which contains many artefacts relating to local Quaker history.
The Quaker museum is free to visit and its opening times are:
All year: Tues-Sat, 12-5pm. June to Sept, Sunday 2-6pm. Tel: 00 353 (0)59 862 3344.