The following text was taken from an earlier Devon Area Meeting web site. Any accompanying pictures have been lost.
It was probably written by Alan Ray-Jones of Exeter Meeting.
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History - Devon
The History of Devon and Cornwall General Meeting - in Devon
The historical information on Devon Meetings below is adapted from the file series MEETING RECORDS in the Library at Friends House (London), with permission of the Librarian. For current Quaker Meetings (2008), use the first link on the Links page. Any modification or addition to the records below will be given in italics.
EXETER MM (1668-1785)
EAST DEVON MM (1785-2007)
DEVON AM (2008-
Exeter MM was established in 1668 as a constituent meeting of DEVONSHIRE QUARTERLY MEETING. Meetings which had formed part of STICKLEPATH MM on its dissolution about 1706, were united to Exeter MM. In 1785 CULLOMPTON & SPICELAND MM was united to Exeter MM under the title of East Devon MM. In 1870 East Devon MM became a constituent part of DEVON & CORNWALL Quarterly Meeting.
As from 1 January 1967 quarterly meetings were styled general meetings, and from the same date particular and allowed meetings were styled recognised meetings. As from 1 Jan 1967 Devon & Cornwall QM was styled Devon & Cornwall General Meeting and from the same date particular and allowed meetings were styled recognised meetings.
From 1 May 1995 established meetings for worship, authorised by minute of the monthly meeting, and conducting regular meetings for church affairs, were styled preparative meetings. Other established meetings, authorised by monthly meeting minute and holding public worship at least once a month, were restyled recognised meetings. Meetings not fully recognised, but notified by monthly meeting to the Recording Clerk's Office, were styled notified meetings.
From 2007 the Monthly Meetings throughout Britain Yearly Meeting were renamed Area Meetings (AM). From 1 January 2008 the members of West Devon AM were transferred to East Devon AM. West Devon AM closed and at the same time East Devon AM was renamed Devon AM. All local meetings were to be known henceforth simply as Local Meetings.
List of constituent meetings of East Devon AM, now (part) of Devon AM:
AXMINSTER 1963-1970 Allowed meeting opened 1963 (YM Proc 1964 p 42); restyled recognised meeting 1967; recognised meeting closed 1970 (YM Proc 1971 p70)
BARNSTAPLE 1828-1859
1940-
Established 1828 (LYM papers 1829); discontinued 1859 (Meeting for Sufferings minutes vol 47 p 258, cited in JFHS vol 49, 1960, p 99); allowed meeting opened 1940 (YM Proc 1941 p 153); altered to particular meeting 1944 (YM Proc 1945 p 197); style changed to recognised meeting 1 Jan 1967
BIDEFORD 1944-1947
1965- Allowed meeting opened 1944 (YM Proc 1945 p 197); closed 1947 (YM Proc 1948 p 130); allowed meeting opened 1965 YMProc 1966 p 194); style changed to recognised meeting 1 Jan 1967
Bovey Tracey See NEWTON ABBOTT
CREDITON 1991- ??? ‘Credition' [sIc] recognised meeting without preparative meeting opened 1991 (YM Proc 1992 p 105). Closed ???
CULLOMPTON 1785-1806 Transferred 1785 from CULLOMPTON & SPICELAND MM; discontinued 1806 (LYM papers 1807)
Culmstock and Spiceland See SPICELAND
DARTMOUTH 1967-1969 Recognised meeting opened 1967 (YM Proc 1968 p 48); closed 1969(YM Proc1970p80)
DAWLISH 1946-???? Allowed meeting opened 1947 (YM Proc 1948 p 130); style changedto recognised meeting 1 Jan 1967
EXETER 1668- Style changed to recognised meeting 1 Jan 1967
EXMOUTH 1910-1911
1934- Allowed meeting opened 1910 (YM Proc 1911 p44); closed 1911 (YM Proc 1912 p 28); allowed meeting reopened 1934 (YM Proc 1935 p106); altered to particular meeting 1936 (YM Proc 1937 p 166); stylechanged to recognised meeting 1 Jan 1967
HATHERLEIGH ????
NEWTON ABBOTT 1947- Allowed meeting opened 1947 (YM Proc 1948 p 130); altered to particular meeting 1963 (YM Proc 1964 p 42) with preparative meeting (Book of meetings 1964); style changed to recognised meeting 1 Jan 1967
NEWTON
TRACY ????
North Devon See STICKLEPATH and WHITSEY
OKEHAMPTON 1953-1976
????- Allowed meeting opened 1953 (YM Proc 1954 p 8); style changed torecognised meeting 1 Jan 1967; meeting closed 1976 (not in Book of meetings 1977, but not reported in YM Proc 1977); and see
SOUTH TAWTON
SIDMOUTH 1944-1947
1961-
Allowed meeting opened 1944 (YM Proc 1945 p 197); closed 1947 (YM Proc 1948 p 130). Allowed meeting opened 1961 (YM Proc 1962 p 34); style changed to recognised meeting 1 Jan 1967;preparative meeting established 1969 (YM Proc 1970 p 80),discontinued 1970 (YM Proc 1971 p 70) and re-established 1989 (YM Proc 1990 p 123)
SOUTH MOLTON 1985-1994 Recognised meeting opened 1985 (YM Proc 1986 p 122); preparative meeting established 1988 (YM Proc 1989 p 174) and discontinued 1993 (YM Proc 1994 p 116). Recognised meeting closed 1994 (YM Proc 1995, p183)
SOUTH TAWTON 1976-???? South Tawton recognised meeting without preparative meeting opened 1976 (in Book of meetings 1977, but not reported in YM Proc 1977); Okehampton & South Tawnton [sic] preparative meeting established 1991 (YM Proc 1992 p 105); preparative meeting discontinued but remained recognised 1994 (YM Proc 1995, p183). ???
SPICELAND 1785-1886
1954-1960
Transferred 1785 as Culmstock & Spiceland from CULLOMPTONMM; altered to allowed meeting 1885, discontinued 1886 (YM Proc 1886 p 28); allowed meeting opened 1954 (YM Proc 1955 p 22);transferred to WEST SOMERSET MM 1960 (YM Proc 1961p188)
STICKLEPATH 1706?-1819 Transferred 1706? from STICKLEPATH MM; held alternately at Sticklepath and Whitsey as
North Devon meeting by 1800 (Book of meetings 1800); Sticklepath meeting discontinued 1819 (LYMpapers 1820)
TEMPLETON ????
TIVERTON 1994-???? Recognised meeting opened without preparative meeting (YM Proc 1995, p183)
TOPSHAM 1668-by 1785
1791-1798 Discontinued in 18thC (not in 1785 list); reopened 1791 (LYMpapers 1792); discontinued 1798 (LYM papers 1799) and members added to
Exeter
TORQUAY 1852- Reported opened 1852 (Meeting for Sufferings minutes vol 46 p 257, citedin JFHS vol 49, 1960, p 98); style changed to recognised meeting 1 Jan 1967
TOTNES 1967-1975 Recognised meeting opened 1967 (YM Proc 1968 p 48); preparative meeting established 1969 (YM Proc 1970 p 80); transferred 1975 to WEST DEVON MM (Book of meetings 1975, 1976)
WHITSEY 1706?-1805? Transferred 1706? from STICKLEPATH MM; held alternately at Sticklepath and Whitsey as
North Devon meeting by 1800 (Book of meetings 1800); discontinued possibly in 1804 (LYM papers 1805 include Devon return of "one small meeting ... discontinued")and certainly by 1811 (not in Book of meetings 1811)
PLYMOUTH MM (1668-1785)
WEST DEVON MM (1785-2007)
Plymouth MM was established in 1668 as a constituent meeting of DEVONSHIRE QUARTERLYMEETING. About 1677 the two eastern meetings were separated to form KINGSBRIDGE MM; in 1785 Kingsbridge MM was united with Plymouth MM to form West Devon MM. In 1870 West Devon MM became a constituent part of DEVON & CORNWALL QM which was from 1967renamed DEVON & CORNWALL GM.
From 2007 the Monthly Meetings throughout Britain Yearly Meeting were renamed Area Meetings (AM) and from 1 January 2008 the members of West Devon AM were transferred to East Devon AM. West Devon AM was closed and East Devon AM was renamed Devon AM.
List of constituent meetings of West Devon AM, now (part) of Devon AM:
KINGSBRIDGE 1668-1677
1785-1871
Transferred 1677? to KINGSBRIDGE MM; transferred 1785 from KINGSBRIDGE MM; discontinued 1871 (YM Proc 1872 p 24; Meeting for Sufferings minutes vol 48 p443 (1872))
MILLBROOK (Millborough) in Maker See
PLYMOUTH
MODBURY 1668-1677
1785-1859 Transferred 1677? to KINGSBRIDGE MM; transferred from KINGSBRIDGE MM1785 (but cf LYM papers 1796, where a meeting IS reported settled at Modbury);discontinued 1859 (Meeting for Sufferings minutes vol 47 p 195 (1859))
MUTLEY See
PLYMOUTH (MUTLEY)
PLYMOUTH 1668- United with Mutley 1898 (YM Proc 1899 p 11); styIe changed torecognised meeting 1 Jan 1967
PLYMOUTH (MUTLEY) 1896-1898 Allowed meeting opened 1896; altered to particular meeting (MUTLEY) 1897; united with
Plymouth 1898 (YM Proc 1897 p11; 1898p11; 1899 p11)
PLYMPTON 1996-2007 Recognised meeting opened 1996 (YM Proc 1997, p256)
PRINCETOWN 1897-1901
1917-1919 Allowed meeting opened 1897 (YM Proc 1898 p 11); closed 1901(YM Proc 1902 p11). Allowed meeting opened 1917 (YM 1918 p65), closed 1919 (YM Proc 1920 p 138)
SALCOMBE 1956- Allowed meeting opened 1956 (YM Proc 1957 p 137); style changed to recognised meeting 1 Jan 1967; preparative meeting established 1971 (YM Proc 1972 p 77)
SALTASH ????
TAVISTOCK
By 1702-???1823-1876
1951-1954 1975-
TOTNES 1975- Recognised meeting with preparative meeting transferred 1975 from EAST DEVON MM (Book of meetings 1975, 1976)
The records of Devon Quarterly Meeting, Devon & Cornwall General Meeting and West Devon Monthly Meeting up to 1960 are held iin the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office except that a few records which should be there are held by the Cornwall Records and Archives Office at Truro. More recent records are still in the possession of the Religious Society of Friends.