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Author Topic: Did Roman Catholics make civil registrations in Belfast?  (Read 1284 times)

Offline purpletulip

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Did Roman Catholics make civil registrations in Belfast?
« on: Monday 08 April 24 15:27 BST (UK) »
Hi everyone. I've been researching my tree for a long time, but I'm searching my family in Belfast and seem to be really stuck. This is the first time my tree branches into RC records. Hope you can help.

My 3xgt grandmother Sarah Feeney (b.1856) married John Walsh (b.1850) on 9 Feb 1877 at St Patrick's RC church, Belfast. However I cannot find a civil marriage record for her. I'm having the same trouble with other family births and marriages. Did members of the catholic/nationalist community in Belfast not make civil registrations? I'm guessing they maybe didn't recognise the British government and is that why they wouldn't have registered BMD? I have marriage and baptism information for several people that I found in St Patrick's parish records, but I cannot confirm a single thing with civil registration. This family line lived in the Carrick Hill area of Belfast. Any info/advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Offline Sinann

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Re: Did Roman Catholics make civil registrations in Belfast?
« Reply #1 on: Monday 08 April 24 23:20 BST (UK) »
I’d say no, it wasn’t planned, it just happens sometimes.
They registered their daughter Mary Jane in 1878
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1878/02968/2087311.pdf

Where did you get the information on the marriage, can you see other marriages that happened around the same time and check if they were registered.

I don’t know if it was the same in 1877 as today, now the priest sends the marriages to the registrar, often in bunches, it’s been known for marriages to be lost in the church and never registered.

Offline Elwyn Soutter

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Re: Did Roman Catholics make civil registrations in Belfast?
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 09 April 24 09:26 BST (UK) »
I have come across lots of marriages at St Patrick’s that were not notified to the civil registrar, spanning 1864 to at least 1920. Last year I attended a public talk given by the then head of GRONI in Belfast and she mentioned that many of St Pat's and some other Catholic churches in NI had not made it into the civil records.
Elwyn

Offline Jon_ni

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Re: Did Roman Catholics make civil registrations in Belfast?
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 09 April 24 16:17 BST (UK) »
See https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=877011.msg7490718#msg7490718 and the images attached
The Groom had to personally return or post his marriage form (identical in layout to all others) signed by the priest to his local Registrar and a few didn't bother in Belfast if you compare the parish with the civil record. The majority returned promply within a few days or weeks, others months or a couple of years later.

The Registrar General commented on the imperfections of R.C. marriage proceedures in his 1881 report and it was again commented 1935 in the 14th Annual Report of the Registrar General (N.I.) that arrangements regarding R.C marriages did not operate with absolute certainty such that a few were never civilly registered.

Offline purpletulip

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Re: Did Roman Catholics make civil registrations in Belfast?
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 10 April 24 23:13 BST (UK) »
Thanks for the responses. Just wasn't sure if I was missing something! Such a shame they were not registered because all the little details are lost. This family seem to have been at St Pats for a long time, but it's impossible to connect families together without addresses, occupations etc. Oh well, the search continues. Thanks again!

Offline searchingforanswers

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Re: Did Roman Catholics make civil registrations in Belfast?
« Reply #5 on: Friday 12 April 24 22:31 BST (UK) »

Offline purpletulip

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Re: Did Roman Catholics make civil registrations in Belfast?
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 14 April 24 14:40 BST (UK) »
Thank you for looking for these. I have recently found them myself. So grateful for more records coming online!
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