[Collection of discharges and lists of clothing taken by Shakers upon leaving the Society]. 1787-ca. 1875.

ArchivalResource

[Collection of discharges and lists of clothing taken by Shakers upon leaving the Society]. 1787-ca. 1875.

[Collection of discharges and lists of clothing taken by Shakers upon leaving the Society]. 1787-ca. 1875.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/770376778

When a person became a Shaker an inventory of his possessions was taken. If he later chose to leave the movement he was given the equivalent of what he had originally brought into the community based on the inventory and, perhaps, some of the tools of his trade. He was also asked to sign a discharge that absolved the community of responsibility for any subsequent payment for services he had rendered while a Shaker or for the property he had deeded earlier to the community. Although it was the Shaker community that was being absolved, the documents almost always mention that the settlement was with specific Shakers leaders. The text of James Shepherd's discharge, recorded on February 18, 1790 is typical: "I the subscriber have this day recd. by the hand of Joseph Bennet of the Church he belongs to the sum of fifteen pounds which is in full and to my satisfaction of all demand I have against Eldr. Joseph Meacham or the Church or any of them on account of any demand I heretofore had or now have on the farm and estate lying in the west district of Rensalair Wick now in the possession of said Church, or on any other amount whatever. And I do therefore hereby acquit and discharge Eldr. Joseph Meacham and the Church aforesaid from any further demand whatever forever hereafter." Most of the manuscripts in this group are from the New Lebanon, N.Y. community and date from the late eighteenth or first decade of the nineteenth centuries.

100 items ; 8-34 cm.

Winterthur Library