St Mary's, Greenock

[flaherty835]

My great grandfather Thomas Flaherty married Bridget Brogan in September 1878 in St Mary's RC church in Greenock. They had 3 children who were probably baptised there. I'd be very grateful if anyone could tell me how I can locate the parish records for that period.

[JustJean]

Hello there!

Not sure if this might be your family from the 1881 census but it looks possible.  Using these childrens names and ages it should be an easy matter to locate birth records through the ScotlandsPeople website.

 
 Source: FHL Film 0203571 GRO Ref Volume 564-2 EnumDist 3 Page 16   
 
  East Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland   
 
Living at 53 Main Street in East Greenock there are household members of Henry  BRADY  Boarder  who is Unmarried and age  22  with occupation of Sugar House Labourer.  He is listed as born in   Ireland .  You'll find  Bridget  FLAFFERTY (note spelling of surname!) who is  Wife to the head.  Her age is  30 and she is born Ireland.   Michael  FLAFFERTY is a  Son  with age stated at  4 years and born in   Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland.    Patrick  FLAFFERTY is another  Son  with age of 7 months and he was born in Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland .  Sarah  FLAFFERTY, a  Daughter  is listed as age 2 and also a birthplace of Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland. Thomas  FLAFFERTY  is named a Head of  the household.  His age is given as 25  and his occupation as Sugar House Labourer.  Place of birth like that of his wife is  Ireland.  Another household member is   Richard  GREEN, a  Boarder, who is  Unmarried, age  22, and also a Sugar House Labourer born in  Ireland.   
 
 Hope this is helpful!

Best wishes
Jean
 

[flaherty835]

Jean,

Many thanks for this. My main problem is that I cannot find any trace of the family after 1881 until Bridget (then a widow) turns up in Liverpool in 1901 with youngest son Patrick (and a daughter from her previous marriage). I wondered whether any notes were made in the Baptism or Marriage registers, as they sometimes are. I just need to know where to inspect these registers before I make a trip to Scotland from Derby.

Best wishes,
John

[weemary]

Hi John

Have you tried sending an email to the church, they might be able to help.  See their website in the below link

http://www.stmarysgreenock.org/

[weemary]

this is from their website

The Past

Founded as the Greenock Mission in 1808, St Mary's is the oldest Catholic parish in the town, and is the "mother" of many parishes on Lower Clydeside. The first "Mission Rector", Rev. John Davidson, rented the Star Hall to celebrate Mass for a congregation of about 100. Our parish records date from his arrival, the first entry being the marriage of a soldier named Peter Gavie, to Elizabeth Collins, on 16 November 1808.

Even earlier, M. Capron, a French priest fleeing from the Revolution, was, as far as we know, the first resident priest in Greenock since the Reformation. By 1798 he had established his "French Academy" in the "town of ships and sugar".

The first St. Mary's Church, in East Shaw Street, was opened in 1816 by Bishop Cameron. In his sermon he "expressed his most grateful acknowledgments for the tolerance in matters of religion now so conspicuous in the country", and stressed "the mutual obligations which bind man to his fellow-man."

On August 17, 1862 the present church, designed by George Goldie of London, was completed at a cost of £6,000. Seating 800, it was hailed as "one of the finest churches in Scotland".

[flaherty835]

Many thanks, weemary. I didn't know they had a website - that's very helpful.
Best wishes,
John