You should know about Quaker church organization. Early Friends Meetings were conducted without a paid pastor (some still are). They were un-programmed. The congregation met in silence. Any one could be moved to briefly address the meeting. The topic was usually of a religious nature, although not necessarily so. This is the simple meeting for worship. Several of those meetings could be a part of a larger meeting that met monthly. The Friends call these meetings the Monthly Meeting. This latter meeting is the parent body and looks after the spiritual and financial needs of the subordinate meetings. The Monthly Meeting is presided over by a leader that they call "Clerk." There is also an assistant Clerk whose principal function is to record the decisions of the Monthly Meeting. These recordings are our famous "Minutes." The Quakers begin the Monthly Meeting by presenting a question. They call this their queries. There are usually twelve, one for each month in the year. A typical query could be ---"Are love and unity maintained among you? "Do you manifest a forgiving spirit and a care for the reputation of others? "When differences arise, are endeavors made to settle them speedily and in a spirit of meekness and love? After the query of the day is answered, committees are heard from. The committee represents the functioning body. There is a committee on religious life. A committee that keeps in contact with the members. Other committees look into different concerns of the meeting. Although Friends are democratic in their activities, they must live up to a set of rules that they call their Discipline. Other than that, the members may have extreme views. You might think this liberal approach would lead to disunity, but such is not the case. The self-criticism in the queries acts as a governor. Several Monthly Meetings in an area join together and meet four times a year, to discuss and act on matters that concern their area. This is a Quarterly Meeting. And annually, all meetings in a larger area meet together in a "Yearly Meeting." All the meetings (except the meeting for worship) keep records of their proceedings. These are our precious Quaker records. It was to this group that Valentine Hollingsworth and his family identified themselves. Quaker marriage ceremonies are unique. When the couple decides to marry, they present a request to their Monthly Meeting. A committee is appointed to look into the request and see that there have been no previous engagements or anything that would prevent the marriage. At the next succeeding Monthly Meeting, the couple make a second request. The committee is heard from and if the committee reports favorable, they are "passes," that is, they are permitted to marry. The time is left up to the couple, when they shall appear at a public meeting, usually called for the purpose, and each will make a public declaration, after which the certificate of marriage is signed by all who witness the ceremony. The signed certificate is not immediately given to the couple, but is handed to the "Recorder," who will copy it in the marriage book. Over the years, certivicates of marriage have taken on a slightly different wording. There is no marriage certificate recorded for Valentine Hollingsworth's marriage to Ann Ree. Lurgan, Ireland, Monthly Meeting, Births and Deaths, says that he married Ann Ree on the "seventh day of the fouerth month, Anno Domini, 1655." Ann Ree died on the "first day of the second month, Anno Domini, 1671," according to the same records. Valentine's second marriage, to Ann Calvert, is recorded in the Lurgan (Co. Armagh), Ireland, Marriage Book, and is as follows, "This is to certify the truth to all people that Valentine Holl- enworth in ye psh of Sego in ye county of Armagh, and Anne Calvert of the same psh having intentions of marriage according to the ordinances of God, and Gods joining, Did lay it before mons meeting before them their marriage being propounded, then ye meeting desired them to wait some time, wch they did, so the meeting makeing inquiry between the time whether ye man be free from all other women, and the woman free from all other man, and so the second time they comeing before the mens meeting, all things being clear, so they being left to their freedome. A meeting of the people of god being appointed and assembled together at the house of Marke? Wright, in the psh of Shankell the twelfth day of the fourth month in ye yeare 1672 whene they tooke one another in marriage in the presence of god and of his people according to ye law of god, we are witnesses of the same whose names are hereunto subscribed ye day and yeare aforesaid Val: Holengworth. Anne Holengworth. ffrancis Robson William Williams Jo' Calvert Chris Hillery Hugh Stamper George Hodgshon Jam. Harison dorothy Hillery Roger Webb Will pearson Nic' Harison Elis' Gaus Robert Hoope Marke Wright John Wright Alice Williams Michael Staise Timo' kirk James Bradshaw An. Bradshaw Tho. Wederall Rob Chambers Tho. Calvert deborn Kirk Will dixon Antho. Dixon fergus Softly Alice Wright dinc Kirke Mary Walker No Hollingsworths signed the certificate as witnesses, which leads me to believe that there were no other Quaker Hollingsworths in the area. Although non-Quakers could have been present and witnessed the ceremony, it is unlikely, at that early date, to have had non-Quakers in attendance. The Friends were a persecuted group, and to associate with them would probably have caused them to be suspect. Ann's father, Thomas, and her brother, John, were there and signed the certificate as witnesses. The April issue of the "Register" spoke briefly of Thomas Calvert and Jane Glasford, and Ann, the second wife of Valentine Hollingsworth. More should be told of the Calvert family, as brother John came to Pennsylvania, if not with Valentine, very soon afterward. The Valentine Hollingsworth and the John Calvert families, in America, were close. John was an older brother to Ann, he was born 8 mo., 5th 1643, near Belfast, Ireland. The Lurgan records say he married, 3 mo., 29th, 1673, at the house of Roger Webb, Judith Stemper, daughter of Hugh Stemper and Bridget, his wife, of Lurgan. Judite Stemper was born 3 mo., 12th, 1652, at "bowlton wood," county Cumberland, England. (NOTE: "Bolton-Wood" is a place in the Parish of Wigton, 2 1/2 miles from the town of Wigton, Cumberlandshire, England, which has (Episcopal) Parish Registers beginning in the year 1613.Ed.) John Calvert (Ann's brother) removed with his family, late in 1682, to Pennsylvania (it is probable that he came with Valentine and his family), and settled in Upper Providence township, Chester county (now Delaware county), where he owned 300 acres of land granted to him by William Penn, 1st month, 13, 1683. An adjoining tract of 300 acres was also granted, at the same time, for Thomas Calvert, the father, who probably did not come to this country. Still another tract of 100 acres, contiguous to the above, was granted on the same date to Margaret Calvert, probably the daughter of Thomas, and a sister to John and Ann. It is probable that neither Thomas nor Margaret came to Pennsylvania, for, on 2 mo 11, 1691, "it was ordered that a patent for the whole tract should be made to John Calvert, to whom it was made appear to belong." (Pennlylvania Archives, 2nd. Series, Volume XLX., page 66.) A difference arose between John Calvert and Thomas Hollingsworth,-a step nephew - over the division of their lands in Upper Providence township in Chester Monthly Meeting, of which John Calvert was then a member, mentions this difference in their minutes of 4.6.1687. But let the minutes tell the story: "There being a difference between Thomas Hollingsworth & John Calvert about ye deviding their lands in ye township of Upper Providence. This meeting now ordereth Bartholomon Coppock ye younger, John Cashing, James Ginerly and Caleb Pusey to inspect and to hear ye testimony in ye said dispute and to give an account thereof to ye next meeting." And at the next meeting held at Walter Faucett's on ye fourth day of ye fifth month, 1687. "The difference opening between Thomas Hollingsworth & John Calvert was reported to ye next quarterly meeting & that ye said Thomas Hollingsworth & John Calvert be desired by this meeting to come at ye next quarterly meeting as also John Cashing, Bartholomon Coppock, James Ginerly & Caleb Pusey." It appears that John Calvert did not accept the committee's recommendation, as the Quarterly Meeting held at Walter Faucet's of Ridley, the first day of the sixth month, 1687, says, "Agreed that a paper of testimony against John Calvert be given forth to public view if after he had heard it read to him he gives not cause tot he contrary," and it is further "Agreed that Caleb Pusey and Walter Faucet read the paper to John Calvert that is given forth against him and give account to the next meeting thereof ...L This meant disownment. However, nothing further is said of the matter, and it was probably dropped, as there are later references to John Calvert in the minutes. John Calvert and Judith (Stamper) Calvert had seven children; Ruth, Isaac, Thomas, and Joshua, born in Ireland, Daniel, Mary, and Judith born in Pennsylvania. The fourth child and second son, Joshua, born 8.18.1680 at Lurgan. At a Chester County Court held 6.25.1702, the sheriff made a return of an executin on the estate of John Calvert which was sold to Thomas, Joshua and Thomas Calvert for L243. In 1724, Joshua had 370 acres of the Calvert land in Upper Providence. He married, in 1709, Deborah, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Duck) Harland. Hannah Harland, an older sister of Deborah, married Samuel Hollingsworth, the oldest son of Valentine and Ann (Calvert) Hollingsworth. So you see that Ann's nephew, Joshua Calvert, married a sister to the wife of Samuel Hollingsworth. You will note that on page 6 of the April "Register", George Harland married Elizabeth Duck on 9.17.1678, and that Henry Hollingsworth had witnessed the ceremony. Now let us return to Ireland, and witness the marriage of Valentine and Ann (Ree) Hollingsworth's first born and oldest daughter, Mary. The marriage took place one month, 4.28.1682, before the father, Valentine, requested the Monthly Meeting to give him a certificate of removal, for himself and family, to Pennsylvania, and it is probable, about two months before they sailed for America. A copy of that marriage certificate reads, "Thomas Conway in the parish of Lisbourne and County of Antrim and Mary Hollingsworth in ye parish of Sego and County of Armagh having intentions of Marriage (according to gods ordinance) did lay it before ye man and womans meetings who taking their said intentions into consideration, Desired them to waite a time, several friends were appointed to make enquiry in ye several places where their residences were, whether the man bee free from all other women, and ye womana free from all other men and whether their parents and relations are satisfied with their said intentions, and they presenting themselves ye second time before the mens meeting and account being brought to ye meeting where all things being found cleer, and this intention of marriage being several times published in ye meetings, to which they do belong and nothing appearing against it-----A meeting of ye people of god was assembled at ye house of ffrancis Robson in ye parish of Sego & County of Ardmagh ye 28th day of ye fourth month in ye yeare 1682, where they being Contracted ye said Thomas Conway Declaired publickly and solomnely in ye presence of god and his people in these words, I take Mary Hollingsworth to be my wife andye said Mary Hollingsworth Declared in Like manner in these words, I give myself to Thomas Conway to be his wife and I take him to be my husband as witness our hands. Thomas Conway Mary Conway Vallentine Hollingsworth Henry Hollingsworth 1682 Thomas Hollingsworth ffrancis Robson Anna Hollingsworth Roger Webb Katherine Hollingsworth Mark Wright Elizabeth Calvert William porter Margaret Calvert Alexander Mathew Ann Webb George Hodgson Sarah Webb James Webb Elizabeth Atkinson Thomas Walker Ann Hodgson Timothy Kirk Mary Walker William Williams Sarah Robson James Bradshaw Mabell Cooke William Crooke Jarrart Rea John Boil Deborah Webb John Wright Katherine (?) Alphonsus Kirk Deborah Lynas ffrancis Hillery Margaret Harland Ezekiel Bullock Ann Hoope Christopher Hillery Margrit Dariell John ffaucett Robert Hoope You will note here a slightly different form from the certificate of marriage of Valentine Hollingsworth and Ann Calvert, ten years earlier. You will also note that the men sign in separate columns than the women. This custom continued until late in the last century. A little later than the above certificate, the relatives sign under the names of the contracting parties. Thomas and Mary Conway came to the Delaware with Mary's father in 1682, and settled near him in New Castle County. Thomas Conway died 11.30, 1688/89, and his widow, in 1693, married secondly, Randel Malin, widower, of Upper Providence. More of Randel and Mary later.