History of Clonmel

[Daisy Loo]

Unitarianism is a bit confusing. The short version is they are christians who don't believe in the concept of the Holy Trinity or the divinity of Jesus.

I'm a bit confused though as to why Unitarians would have their children baptised in a Catholic Church. I'd imagine that without their converting to Catholicism and re-marrying in a Catholic Ceremony that they wouldn't have been allowed baptise their children as Catholics.

When I spoke to the lady at St Peter's & St Pauls, I told her that the parents had married in a Protestant Church, yet had baptised all the kids in a Catholic Church....she said, didn't matter, they would take them all!  The father was Scottish, the mother was Irish, I believe from Clonmel....perhaps the mother was well known by the Priest at St P & St P?

[aghadowey]

"in Ireland" with "by License" inserted between "in" and "Ireland."
If you read my post with the excerpt the name of the book was given there.

A History of Congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 1610-1982:

[Daisy Loo]

"in Ireland" with "by License" inserted between "in" and "Ireland."
If you read my post with the excerpt the name of the book was given there.

A History of Congregations in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 1610-1982:

Sorry   Thanks...I'll see if I can get a copy from the library.  Why would they have needed a license?  Does that mean they just didn't do the banns?

[Oaks and Acorns]

Just a thought on the 'double' baptism you mention. Although Catholic Emancipation was introduced in 1829 the effects of the Penal Laws dragged on throughout the 19th century. It took the Cathoilc Church intil the mid 1840's to rebuild and recover.

During the Penal days many Catholics (predominantly middle-class) converted to the Established Church, mainly for economic reasons. Prior to 1829 when there was no Catholic Church BMD's were carried out only in Established Churches.

Is it possible your ancestors converted to/from Catholicism and felt a need to have a Catholic baptism later in life?

Dara.

[Daisy Loo]

My feeling is this...

Isabella was their first child, and she was born where ever, and baptised in a Protestant Church, in Woolwich.

The mother was Irish (Bridget Cleary) and I assume Catholic.  the father was Scottish, and Presbyterian.

At some point, they went back to Ireland...(after 1850, but before 1855).  Where they went on to have more children...one in 1855, baptised in RC church, then another in 1857, also baptised in an RC church.  Three months after the second child is baptised, Isabella is as well.  Maybe as a young girl, she asked to be abptised in the same church...maybe the irish side of the family was putting pressure on the mother...maybe the Church requested she be baptised, as she was later to be "Sponsor" to one of her younger sisters.

I'm my feelings/thoughts way out?

[Oaks and Acorns]

If I have the dates correct Isabella would have been about 8 when sh was baptised in the Catholic Church.

Most likely reason I can think of was to allow her make her First Communion.

Dara.

[Daisy Loo]

You have your dates right, and yes, that does seem like a good enough reason, especially if she was at a RC school (likely) and wanted to be like all the other little girls.

Thanks Dara

[Oaks and Acorns]

You're welcome.

And by the way, your decision to check the history of Clonmel around the time frame you are interested in is an excellent one. It really helps to understand the people you are researching if you know what was happening in their local area as well as the country in general.

As far as I know there are no records kept of Communion or Confirmation but there are some old school registers in existance. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I can point you in the right direction.

Good luck with your search.

Dara.

[Daisy Loo]

To be honest, getting a list of names, and seeing how far back I can go, doesn't really interest me...if I can find out background history, and how they were living etc etc, it makes things a lot more real.  So I suppose, my main interest would lie from 1800-1900, when there were census records, and spanning/building out from there.

This particular branch of my family interests me a lot more, as it is my only Irish connection, the family are very difficult to find, but when I do find them, they prove very intriguing!

I hadn't thought of school registers...what a great idea...I have seen some excerpts for schools in Ballynakill, Galway, and they show occupation of father and such...thanks for that idea too