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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: auron on Saturday 03 October 09 22:29 BST (UK)

Title: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: auron on Saturday 03 October 09 22:29 BST (UK)
I've an ancestor who married in wigan 1798. He was a Roman Catholic. Any suggestion where I might find any parish records for Cathlics prior to 1780. I've no idea where he was born but I guess it was in Lancashire.
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: Luzzu on Sunday 04 October 09 10:21 BST (UK)
Hi,

 :)

Welcome to Rootschat.

I would have a look on www.lan-opc.org.uk as there are a lot of transcribed parish records on there, not just RC but all denominations.  If you know he married in Wigan, I would start looking in that parish.

Also why not post what details you know about your ancestor on the Lancashire board.

Luzzu

Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: auron on Sunday 04 October 09 11:35 BST (UK)
Thanks Luzzu, I'm new to RootsChat and did not realise there was a  place to post Lancashire issues. I'll try to find it. I'll also try the site you suggested. I've been to St. John's church in Wigan and got some good information. The priest there told me that older records were kept somewhere else, Preston I think he said.
Thanks for the help
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: Luzzu on Sunday 04 October 09 12:26 BST (UK)
Hi,

One of the Mods has moved you to the Lancashire board and you will get loads of help on here.  Everyone is really friendly.

Maybe the Priest was referring to Lancashire Records Office as they are in Preston:-

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/education/record_office/planning/

Luzzu

Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: dotty on Sunday 04 October 09 14:56 BST (UK)
Hi, if you send me all the details I will look at the records office on Tuesday.

Dotty
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: auron on Sunday 04 October 09 15:30 BST (UK)
Hi Dotty, thank you for your kind offer. The guy I'm looking for was called James Blakeledge/Blackledge. All I know is that he married Betty Rothwell at Upholland and in St.John's RC church in Wigan in1794. I know that there were other relatives about in Wigan, Christopher, Mary, William Blakeledge and possible Alice Blackledge b.1740.
I have no idea where James was born and I've not known where to look.  James son, Thomas, had two children born in Brindle,  (Nicholas in 1828 and William 1831) while other children born before and after these dates were born in Wigan.
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: Luzzu on Sunday 04 October 09 19:14 BST (UK)
Hi again,

Did you know that the Blackledge/Blacklidge name is very unusual in English and originates in the Leyland/Standish/Ormskirk areas of Lancashire so you are spot on area wise with Preston and Wigan.

http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Blackledge

I think you have a good chance of finding loads of info.

Best of luck

Luzzu
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: auron on Sunday 04 October 09 21:01 BST (UK)
Hi Luzzu, about 40 years ago someone wrote to my father saying they had traced the family back to 1350ish in a small village near Preston or Chorley. Unfortunately my father thought it was a confidence trick and did nothing.
 I'm stuck at 1870 but still searching. All the Blackledge's in my family are from Wigan. Thanks for the web address.
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: jds1949 on Sunday 04 October 09 22:20 BST (UK)
This may not be directly relevant, but might help you further down the road; in the 1767 Return of Papists the entry for the village of Brindle contains the following:
239 Margt Blacklidge age 55 Resident for 27 years
240 Alice Blacklidge age 28 Resident for 28 years
241 Ann Blacklidge age 27 Resident for 21 years
242 Thos Blacklidge age 17 Resident for 17 years
243 Jno Blacklidge age 15 Resident for 15 years
244 Chrs Blacklidge age 11 Resident for 11 years
245 Wm Blacklidge age 9 Resident for 9 years

No other information and no James, but possibly relations based on the names you gave in your email. There don't appear to be any Blacklidge entries in either Leyland or Chorley.

Hope it helps,

jds1949
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: jds1949 on Sunday 04 October 09 22:38 BST (UK)
Just done a bit more digging.

The Catholic register for Brindle has several Blackledge entries and also this footnote which may be of interest:

The family of Blackledge, originally Blacklach, was of some antiquity
in Leyland, no doubt deriving from Blacklach House, subsequently known as
the Old Hall of Leyland, in which parish the family continued to possess pro-
Crty
for many generations. In the reign of Elizabeth John Blackledge, of
yland, married Janet, daughter of William Fleetwood, of Heskin Hall,
Esq., her brother John marrying Joan, daughter of Sir Thomas Langton,
baron of Newton, and her sister Agnes being the wife of Thomas Gillibrand, of
Chorley Hall. The Blackledges subsequently resided at Copthurst in Whittlele-
Woods, and a stone in Leyland churchyard is inscribed with the names of a
number of the family buried there John Blackledge, of Copthurst, yeoman,
Sept. 9, 1688, and others. William Blackledge, of Wheelton, yeoman, was a
Catholic non-juror in 1717, and registered freehold and leasehold estate in which
his son Henry and daughter Anne were interested. It was the father and son
who by deed dated May i, 1729, conveyed to Matthew Talbot, of Wheelton, the
premises for the chapel there. The son s wife was Jane, daughter of Oliver
Whittle, of Wheelton. About 1832 Mr. William Blackledge purchased the
estate of White Lee in Goosnargh, the ancient inheritance of the Keighleys
(or Kighleys), which descended to his son, John Blackledge, of Clayton-le-
Woods, who left his estate to the Andertons of Euxton Hall.


Also the following baptism:
1770
February 4: James Blacklidge Son of Alice Blacklidge, born in
Brindle. Sponsors Henry Farnworth & Margaret Clayton.

[Probably the Alice in the 1767 Return of my last post]

Hope that's your man.

The register is available online as a free download from

http://www.archive.org/index.php

click on text and then search for Catholic Record Society and it should come up.

jds1949
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: DudleyWinchurch on Sunday 04 October 09 22:40 BST (UK)
Hi auron,

This is much later than your original query but I am researching a tree for a friend who does not use computers herself but one of her family married a Blackledge from the Wigan area.

Do you, by any chance have a [JamesThomas (sorry put wrong name first time)] Blackledge who married a Mary Gallop in Wigan in 1900?
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: Iggy on Thursday 08 October 09 08:04 BST (UK)
You may want to check the Wigan Cemetery (Lower Ince) Records index for your family.  There are many Blackleges buried there of the R.C. religion.
Noticed a Nicolas Blacklege who may be yours.  Born Abt 1828 died 15 Jun 1877 age 49.  Died at 119 Birkett Bank.  Grave: G-342.  Religion: RC

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/stuff/cemetery.php?opt=cemetery

Iggy
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: auron on Wednesday 28 October 09 11:45 GMT (UK)
Hi Iggy, I've been away and am a bit lost as to whom I've replied. Thank's for your information about the cemetry at Ince. This is my Nicholas I'm sure  and I believe quite a lot of his family are also buried there. I must try to get there to see the graves but I live in Leeds so it's a bit difficult.
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: mosschops2 on Sunday 22 November 09 11:20 GMT (UK)
Hi everyone.

Jds1949, Could you tell me where I could access the information contained within the 1767 return of papists.
I am looking for Ackers / Akers or other variants of the name, probably in the Chorley / Brindle/ Leyland area of Lancashire.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Mick
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: jds1949 on Sunday 22 November 09 16:01 GMT (UK)
Mick,

the Returns of Papists 1767 is a publication of the Catholic Record Society; you should be able to get hold of a copy through your local library's inter-loan system. I had a quick look at the entries for Chorley, Brindle and Leyland and I couldn't find any reference to Akers/Ackers. I haven't looked in the Brindle Catholic registers - if you scroll back to my earlier post in this thread you can find the link which will take you to that resource online.

jds1949 
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: mosschops2 on Sunday 22 November 09 16:16 GMT (UK)
Many thanks jds1949

I already have the Brindle ? Salmesbury records you are referring to. In particular I'm looking for a Hugh Ackers earliest Hugh was born C1726 and buried in Leyland around 1818 I think. The first reference other than this Hugh's burial is in the 1780s in Salmesbury. This being the marriage of Hugh's son (also Hugh) before this there is nothing in the Brindle registers. It is of course possible that they were from out of town. I'm hoping they may appear in the papist registers.

I'll go to my local library and see what they can do for me.

Many thanks for the reply.

Mick
Title: Re: Lancashire catholic records
Post by: DudleyWinchurch on Sunday 22 November 09 18:47 GMT (UK)
You may want to check the Wigan Cemetery (Lower Ince) Records index for your family.  There are many Blackleges buried there of the R.C. religion.
Noticed a Nicolas Blacklege who may be yours.  Born Abt 1828 died 15 Jun 1877 age 49.  Died at 119 Birkett Bank.  Grave: G-342.  Religion: RC

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/stuff/cemetery.php?opt=cemetery

Iggy
Hi Iggy,

I am so sorry.  I somehow missed your reply when it was posted.  Thanks very much for that information.  I will look into that further and see if he belonged to the same family.
Sheila