QUAKER-ROOTS-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: [Q-R] Premature babies
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 00:43:49 EST

Another thing which has not been discussed about the Quaker rules of
disownment when a young couple had a "premature baby". The Quakers were much
more tolerant than a lot of groups today who "shun" family members who marry
out of the groups. In my family there is a Conservative Quaker couple in my
family who had a son who joined the Gurney separatists in 1845, a daughter
who became a Methodist, and another daughter who stayed with the Conservative
Meeting. I have a diary written by the "Conservative" daughter. In it she
talks about visiting with her brother and sister, as well as a daughter who
"married out".

I think that the monthly meetings felt more like an extended family than a
punitive group. This might have been more loving in the long run than some
church members today who do not confront problems in the "body", but just
gossip about people.

Nancy B.

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