England Nonconformist Church Records: Difference between revisions

*Registers from the city of Worcester—baptisms 1685-1837, 3 marriages (1801, 1827, 1828), deaths 1774-1806, are on {{FHL|254847|item|disp=FHL film 1999506}}.

*Registers of Father Bruno Cantrill in London 1726-1755 on {{FHL|301084|item|disp=FHL film 0547198}}.

*The notebook and supplementary documents of Rev. Monox Hervey covering marriages and baptisms from 1729-1756 on {{FHL|391978|item|disp=FHL film 0599709}}.

*Registers of Fr. Joseph Alexiuc Smallwood in London 1730-1750 on {{FHL|301084|item|disp=FHL film 0547198}}.

*Registers of Fr. Arthur Pacificus Baker near Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London 1747-1773 on {{FHL|301084|item|disp=FHL film 0547198}}.

*Registers of the domestic chapel at Arundel Castle, (Duke of Norfolk and household), afterwards the public chapel at Arundel 1749-1835 with list of burials in the Fitzalan chapel at Arundel on {{FHL|392118|item|disp=FHL film 0599713}}.

*''St. James Palace Catholic Chapel'', later ''Somerset House Chapel'' 1671 onwards on {{FHL|302342|item|disp=FHL film 0599717}}.

*''Portuguese Chapel'' 1696-1849 with most on {{FHL|302342|item|disp=FHL film 0599717}}.

*''Spanish Chapel'', later ''St. James’ Spanish Place'', 1730 onwards, indexes of which occur on {{FHL|629117|item|disp=FHL fiche 6903845 (1)}} (christenings 1730-1772) and {{FHL|629117|item|disp=FHL fiche 6903845 (1)}} (marriages 1730-1822).

*''Kensal Green'' in the northwest opened in 1858, burials transcribed 1858-1876 on {{FHL|606911|item|disp=FHL fiche 6343226-7 (11)}}* and monumental inscriptions on {{FHL|606931|item|disp=FHL fiche 6343228 (1)}}*.

*''All Souls, Chelsea'' transcribed 1845-1858 on {{FHL|606362|item|disp=FHL fiche 6343215 (2)}}* or {{FHL|606362|item|disp=FHL fiche 6344548 (2}})*.

There are special registers for the armed services, for example for the army the Roman Catholic Chaplaincy at Aldershot has baptisms, marriages and burials, (but not war deaths), which have been copied, and the Curragh British Army Camp Catholic parish in Kildare, Ireland has baptisms and marriages 1855-1880 on {{FHL|346684|item|disp=FHL film 0926111}}. Some Catholic priests kept death registers, but with only the name and age of the deceased, and the place of burial. Some priests kept a list of the sick they had visited, especially when the last rites were necessary. Catholic churches have lists of names of the deceased arranged by day and month so that masses may be said for them on the anniversary of their death.<ref>Christensen, Penelope. "England Catholic Church Records, Deaths, Burials (National Institute)," ''The National Institute for Genealogical Studies'' (2012), https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/England_Catholic_Church_Records,_Deaths,_Burials_%28National_Institute%29.</ref>

During the penal period those who survived as Catholics were largely gentry and their Catholic servants and estate workers. The gentry were literate and educated and there are a great many family papers in existence which detail the lower classes in the household as well as the more affluent. These may be deposited in record offices or may still be with the family. The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, now part of the National Archives, keeps a list of known ones, where they are and how they may be accessed, and this is searchable online. There are also a large number of local histories of Catholic families. Good places to start the search are: The five volumes of Gillow’s ''Bibliographic Dictionary of the English Catholics'' on {{FHL|265310|item|disp=FHL films 0896646-8}}, for which there is also an index and finding list by Bevan (Index and Finding List to Joseph Gillow’s Bibliographical Dictionary of the English Catholics. J.W. Arrowsmith Ltd for John Bevan, Bristol, England. {{FHL|265310|item|disp=FHL book 942 D3giL index)}}.  

*Foley’s ''Records of the English Province of the Society of Jesus'' in 8 volumes on {{FHL|262947|item|disp=FHL films 0599477-83}}.

|Records of the English cannonesses of the Holy Sepulchre at '''Liége''' now at '''New Hall, Essex''' 1652-1793 on {{FHL|392034|item|disp=FHL film 0599710}}.

|Registers of the English Benedictine nuns of '''Pontoise''', now at '''Teignmouth''', Devon 1680-1713 on {{FHL|392034|item|disp=FHL film 0599710}}.

|English Benedictine nuns in '''Flanders''' 1598-1687, annals of their five communities on {{FHL|338796|item|disp=FHL film 0599467}}.

|English Benedictine nuns of our Blessed Lady of Good Hope in '''Paris''', now at St. Benedict’s Priory, '''Colwich, Staffordshire''', notes and obituaries 1652-1861 on {{FHL|300908|item|disp=FHL film 0599708}}.

|The '''Douay''' College diaries, 3rd, 4th and 5th, 1598-1654: with the Rheims report 1579-80, and the 7th diary 1715-1778, preceded by a summary of events 1691-1715 on {{FHL|300985|item|disp=FHL films 0599708-9}} and {{FHL|300985|item|disp=FHL film 0599714}}.

|Obituary notices of the English Benedictine nuns of '''Ghent''' in Flanders, and at '''Preston, Lancashire''' 1527-1811 on {{FHL|301084|item|disp=FHL film 0547198}}

|Annals of the English College at '''Seville''' with accounts of other foundations at '''Vallodolid''', St. Lucar, Lisbon and '''St. Omers''' on {{FHL|391978|item|disp=FHL film 0599709}}.

|Registers of the English Poor Clare nuns at '''Gravelines''' with notes of foundations at '''Aire, Dunkirk''' and '''Rouen''' 1608-1837 on {{FHL|391978|item|disp=FHL film 0599709}}.

|English Benedictine nuns of '''Brussels''' and '''Winchester''' 1598-1856 on {{FHL|391978|item|disp=FHL film 0599709}}.

|Register book of St. Gregory’s College at '''Paris''' 1667-1786 on {{FHL|301084|item|disp=FHL film 0547198}}.

In ''Miscellanea VII'' on {{FHL|391841|item|disp=FHL film 0599708}} is an example of notes and obituaries of Catholic nuns, including a picture of the convent and facsimiles of signatures of some of the senior sisters. A sample obituary is shown below.  

Gandy (''Catholic Family History: A Bibliography of General Sources''. Self-published, 1996) lists many more. A fascinating history of the late 16th century missioner’s safe-house at Grosmont Priory in Yorkshire can be found in Boddy (''Catholic Missioners at Grosmont Priory''. North Yorkshire County Record Office. {{FHL|179215|item|disp=FHL book 942.74/G8 K2b)}}. It gives great detail about the local Catholics as well as the missioners themselves.<ref>Christensen, Penelope. "England Catholic Church Records, Priests, Family and Estate Papers, Religious Orders (National Institute)," ''The National Institute for Genealogical Studies'' (2012), https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/England_Catholic_Church_Records,_Priests,_Family_and_Estate_Papers,_Religious_Orders_%28National_Institute%29.</ref>

Amongst the national records which can be used to trace Catholic families are ''Recusant Rolls'' from 1591-1691. These are lists of fines and forfeits for non-attendance at the local parish church, and contain large numbers of Catholics as well as other dissenters. They mainly refer to the more prominent offenders, and some are on film, for instance roll 1 (1592-3) is on {{FHL|301047|item|disp=FHL film 0599711}}; roll 2 (1593-4) on {{FHL|301047|item|disp=FHL film 0599722}}, and rolls 3-4 (1594-6) on {{FHL|301047|item|disp=FHL film 0990031}}. In the early taxation records called the ''Lay Subsidy Rolls'' Catholics were taxed at double the regular rate and can therefore be readily identified.  

It should be noted that there was a great difference between ''reputed/suspected/known recusants'' and those actually ''convicted'' in a court such as Quarter sessions. The term ''superstitious'' is also used for Catholics, as in the ''Commission for Superstitious Lands'', an anti-Catholic enquiry in the 1690s. The Catholic Record Society has published a number of such national records, for example English Catholics who attended mass at the Spanish Embassy on Palm Sunday 1613/14 are the subject of a paper in Miscellanea VII on {{FHL|391841|item|disp=FHL film 0599708}}; examples are below.  

<br> Convicted recusants, primarily Catholics, who went through a formal procedure to conform to the Church of England are detailed in the ''Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer’s Memoranda Rolls'' which are at the PRO in series E 368. Their lands and property were returned and fines usually excused as the state was more interested in the conformity than the money. However, in some cases the conversion was temporary and the same names appear again for similar offences. ''Catholic Ancestor'' has published lists of those conforming between 1590 and 1625. Lists of Catholics called ''Returns of Papists'' were made in 1680, 1705, 1706, 1767 (the most thorough) and 1780 and what survives are in the House of Lords Record Office in Westminster. Some give only statistics, but those for the dioceses of Chester, Durham and Hereford give names, ages, relationship within household, addresses, and how long in residence Many are published, for example the important 1767 return in Vol 1 Diocese of Chester with a separate index, and Vol 2 Other Dioceses which are in the {{FHL|91507item|disp=FHL book under 942 K25}} but are not filmed yet. These parliamentary summaries contain only initials, and the full names are in the originals in the Quarter Sessions records which happily are available on film.  

<br> '''Chart: Brentford, Middlesex return of Papists 1711 in Quarter Sessions —''' {{FHL|131641|item|disp=FHL film 2068200}}  

<br> '''Chart: Kensington, Middlesex return of Papists 1711 in Petty Sessions —''' {{FHL|131641|item|disp=FHL film 2068200}}  

'''Chart: Return of Papists in Winchester Diocese 1767'''<br>{{FHL|426351|item|disp=FHL film 1544503}}<br> A variety of amounts of detail were provided as shown here.  

A full set is housed at the Catholic National Library, and the FHL holds the 1880, 1950, 1964, 1973, and 1978 editions, together with its successor, ''The Catholic Directory of England and Wales'' from 1986 in {{FHL|810109|item|disp=FHL book 942 K22c}}. The obituaries from the Laity’s Directory were reprinted in Volume 12 of the CRS Records Series.  

The earlier ''Miscellanea'' publications of the CRS are on several films. As an example of the variety of contents, Vol 17 on {{FHL|392034|item|disp=FHL film 0599710}} contains:  

The French churches all have baptism and marriage registers but not burial registers as none had their own burial grounds. Most, if not all by now, have been transcribed and published by the Huguenot Society and the originals filmed. As examples, there are four films, starting at {{FHL|31284|item|disp=FHL film 0466707}}, for the London Walloon Church, Threadneedle Street, and several French Spitalfields churches starting in 1687 are filmed and have indexed printouts. The contents of the published registers can be exemplified by the Walloon or Strangers’ Church in Canterbury edited by Hovenden on {{FHL|296860|item|disp=FHL films 0086956-7}} containing:  

'''''Témoignages'''''—Certificates of sound doctrine and good behaviour from their previous congregation presented to the new one. These are the most important of the documents after the registers as they state when the family arrived and from whence. Those for the London Walloon Church, Threadneedle Street 1669-1789 have been published by W. and S. Minet and are also on {{FHL|31284|item|disp=FHL film 0466698}}.  

Gwynn’s two publications (Records of Huguenots in the British Isles, pages 1-9 in Volume F, World Conference on Records and Genealogical Seminar, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA 5-8 August 1969. Genealogical Society of Utah. {{FHL|17515|item|disp=FHL fiche 6039361(1)}} and Huguenot Heritage: The History and Contribution of the Huguenots in Britain. Routledge) , Currer-Briggs and Gambier (''Huguenot Ancestry''. Phillimore, 1985), and Delaforce (Undated, about 1981.''Family History Research'' Vol I “The French Connection”. Regency Press, London.) are good places to start, and Kershaw and Pearsall (''Immigrants and Aliens. A Guide to Sources on UK immigration and citizenship.'' PRO Publications, 2000) have details of the PRO holdings. The Huguenot and Walloon Research Association are about to publish a valuable index to the French Protestant Hospital records and a ''Guide to Protestant Ancestry Research'', an article by Tsushima describes their work.  

''The Huguenot Society of London'' has lead the way in gathering and publishing records of a particular religious group. The ''Proceedings'' run from 1885 and their record series (the''Quarto Series'') from 1887 to date, many giving complete transcriptions of archive material, for example the ''Returns of Aliens, Denizations'' and ''Naturalizations'' and ''Oaths of Naturalization'' from the PRO, and all of the London French church registers. Both the ''Quarto Series'' and the ''Proceedings'' are on film and there is a comprehensive (but not all-name) index by Marmoy (''General Index to the Proceedings and the Quarto Series of Publications of the Huguenot Society of London, 1885-1985''. Huguenot Society. {{FHL|501804|item|disp=FHL book 942.1 C42m}}). Ramsay-Sharp (''Huguenot Surname Index Quarto Series Volumes 1-40''. Society of Australian Genealogists) has completely surname-indexed volumes 1-40 of the Quarto Series.<ref>Christensen, Penelope. "England Huguenot Records (National Institute)," ''The National Institute for Genealogical Studies'' (2012), https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/England_Huguenot_Records_%28National_Institute%29.</ref>

'''Lewes Meeting, Sussex                                          '''{{FHL|110694|item|disp=FHL Film 0811737}}<br>''1682    28th day 5th Month '''Sarah VERRALL''' the first daughter <br>            and child of Richard Verrall (and Sarah his wife) was <br>            born at Hove<br>1682    5th day 11th month '''Sarah CHISMAN''' the daughter of John <br>            Chisman (and Sibilla his wife) was born at Shoreham<br>1683    20th day 3rd month '''Frances BEARD '''the daughter of <br>            William Beard (and Frances his wife) was born at Brighthelmstone<br>1685    15th day 4th month '''Nicholas BEARD''' the son of William <br>            Beard (and Frances his wife) was born at Brighthelmstone''  

|'''Colchester, Essex RG6/999 on''' {{FHL|49310|item|disp=FHL film 0812204}}<br>These few retrospective birth records occupy the first page in the book and are clearly of the adult members of the congregation born well before the Society of Friends was started in 1647.<br>'''Thomas CHITTAM''' born in ye 12 mo. 1613<br>'''Stephen CRISP''' senior born ye - 1616<br>'''John Furly (junior''' crossed through) born 8th 7 mo 1618<br>'''George Weatherby senior '''sonn of Richard Weatherby born the 8th day of the 7 mo 1624 in a villadg cald Ruslip in the Countey of Midellsex.

|'''Gainsborough, Lincolnshire                    RG6/1538 on''' {{FHL|103962|item|disp=FHL film 0817375}}<br>The register books starting in 1700 are handwritten, later some have individually printed certificates with spaces for filling in details, and later still they are printed in columns. These show When and Where born, Name, Son or Daughter, Names of Parents, Residents, description of the Father. In the last column there are three types of entries:<br>'''Simon Mow BROWN '''father of Abigail born 1804 is described as ''Grocer and Chandler.''<br>'''George BLAKEY''' father of Mary born 1805 has ''Watchmaker NB The Parents not members at the Birth of the Child.''<br>'''Samuel COOK''' father of Sarah born 1806 has ''Linen Weaver NB The Child has not a right of Membership by Birth.''<ref>Christensen, Penelope. "England Quaker Records (National Institute)," ''The National Institute for Genealogical Studies'' (2012), https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/England_Quaker_Records_%28National_Institute%29.</ref>

*Ÿ Persecution (''sufferings''), including any form of prosecution or distraint, were recorded by monthly, quarterly and yearly Meetings, from 1793 in standard printed books for thispurpose. Most were sent to the London Yearly Meetings and entered into the ''Great Book of Sufferings'' 1650-1856 in 44 volumes. Consult Besse on {{FHL|223292|item|disp=FHL film 0599671}} for a compilation of interesting cases from 1650-1689, and Friends House Library for a check of the index prepared for volumes 1-29 (1650-1791) and other county summaries. Volumes 1 and 2 have been indexed by Audrey Sullivan (1991) but not filmed; use the Request for Photocopies form for appropriate pages. Gandy (Sufferings of Early Quakers. Facsimile of 1753 edition by Joseph Besse with an introduction and indexes to names and places. Sessions Book Trust, Ebor press, York, England, 2002) has edited a 1753 facsimile edition of Besse’s 4 volumes. Examples are shown below.

'''Chart: Colchester, Essex Sufferings of Quakers<br>RG6/999''' {{FHL|49310|item|disp=FHL film 0812204}}<br>  

*''The Quaker Record'' (Green 1894 on {{FHL|114845|item|disp=FHL film 0908277}}) has 20,000 deaths 1813-1892 indexed from ''The Annual Monitor.''<br>

*''The Annual Monitor'' 1813-1920 carried many death notices and is on 14 films starting at {{FHL|192612|item|disp=FHL film 0874080}}. Green has indexed these for 1813-1892 and this is on {{FHL|114845|item|disp=FHL film 0908277}}.<br>

|'''Lewes, Sussex 1786 RG6/145'''                  {{FHL|110694|item|disp=FHL Film 0811737}}<br>Preprinted form with spaces for insertion of details.  

|'''Lewes and Chichester Meeting, Sussex 1780''' {{FHL|110694|item|disp=FHL Film 0811737}} In an almost identically worded handwritten document to the above '''John MICHELL''' of Southover near Lewes, Sussex marries ''Mary GRINFIELD'' spinster daughter of William GREENFIELD of Hurstperpoynt, Sussex. The differences are that the announcements were made in Hurstperpoynt and Lewes Meetings, and the marriage took place at Cuckfield; and she promises to be not only ‘Faithfull and Loveing’ but also ‘Obedient’. The lists of witnesses are not labelled but the small one consists of John Michell, Mary Michell and, underneath a dividing line, Will: Greenfield, Mary Greenfield, Will Linfield, Will: Greenfield, Sarah Greenfield, who would seem to be the relations. There is a separate list of 22 other witnesses. <br>

|                                                        '''Colchester, Essex'''<br>                                                  '''RG6/999 on''' {{FHL|49310|item|disp=FHL film 0812204}}<br>These marriages are recorded in the Digest format.<br>1659 6 mo 21 day<br>'''Edmond CROSS''' of Colchester and '''Mary BACON''' of Halsted declared their Marriage publickly in the meeting in ye presence of many faithfull witnesses.<br>1660 6 mo 15 day<br>'''John LOVE''' of Colchester and '''Susan RUST''' of ye same declared their Marriage publickly in the meeting in ye presence of many faithfull witnesses. <br>

|                                                        '''Colchester, Essex'''<br>                                                  '''RG6/999 on''' {{FHL|49310|item|disp=FHL film 0812204}}<br>There were perhaps 15-20 burials a year in the early 1660s, then this heading: appears:<br>'''From the fifth month 1665 to the 7th of ye 10th month 1666 which was a time of great plague in this towne'''<br>Then a list of 98 persons <br>

|                                '''Lewes Meeting, Sussex'''        {{FHL|110694|item|disp=FHL Film 0811737}}<br>                                                Dates are those of death<br>1659 18th day 10th month '''Elizabeth COTTINGHAM''' wife of<br>Thomas Cottingham departed this life and was buryed at Rottingdean<br>1661 20th day 7th month '''Richard BEARD''' departed this life and<br>was buryed at Rottingdean<br>1662 15th day 3rd month '''Ann BEARD''' the widow of the aforesaid Richard Beard departed this life and was buryed at Rottingdean<br>1662 21st day 11th month '''Elizabeth BOYCE''' departed this life<br>and was buryed at Rottingdean<br>1663 4th day 12th month '''Joan BOYCE''' sister of the abovesaid<br>Elizabeth Boyce departed this life and was buryed at Rottingdean <br>

|                    '''Gainsborough, Lincolnshire'''              '''RG6/585 on''' {{FHL|103962|item|disp=FHL film 0817375}}<br>To ''Robert Offerton '' Grave-Maker<br>The ''First'' Day of the ''Third'' Month 1784<br>Make a Grave on or before next ''Third Day'', in Friends Burying-Ground, at Gainsborough and therein lay the Body of Jonathan Hopkins Grocer of Gainsborough in the County of Lincoln aged ''Thirty'' nine Years who died the Twenty Ninth Day of the Second Month, called February One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty four. Thos Morley<br>The Body above mentioned was buried the ''Second Day'' of the '''Third Month''', called March 1784.<br>Witness Robert Offerton Grave-Maker<br>A true Copy, David Nainby<br>Register to ''Gainsborough Monthly'' Meeting<br>

|'''Society of Friends Burial Ground, Drapers, St. John the Baptist, Margate, Kent '''{{FHL|549701|item|disp=FHL Film 1835483}}<br>This is a printed format with columns for Name, Abode, When buried and Age. There is only one burial in 1867.  

In the columnar Gainsborough Burial registers in RG6/1538 it was noted that several entries were noted as ''Not a Member of our Society,'' so non-Quakers were also buried there—a point worth noting when burials can’t be found in parish registers. Among the microfilmed Quaker burial records is a letter from the Staines Urban District Council with a list of tombstone inscriptions of those disinterred from the Friends Burial Ground in Staines, Middlesex and re-interred in Jordans Burial Ground, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire in 1973. The originals are in RG37/149 at the PRO and on {{FHL|628060|item|disp=FHL film 1818112}}, and dates range from 1865 to 1933 and most are rendered in Quaker fashion as in Chart 64.  

|'''18 Apr 1735 Burstow, Surrey''' {{FHL|439188|item|disp=FHL film 1470975}}

|'''20 Apr 1827 Dunstable, Bedfordshire''' {{FHL|312739|item|disp=FHL film 0826469}}

|'''8 Oct 1844 St. Mary le Strand, Westminster, Middlesex''' {{FHL|130340|item|disp=FHL film 0572513}}

<br> '''Chart: Oaths at Sutton Bonnington, Nottinghamshire regarding Parentage of Thomas Palmer — Found in Miscellaneous Parish Documents on''' {{FHL|636519|item|disp=FHL film 1517777}}<br>