Roman Catholic baptisms. Was proof of marriage of parents needed?

[Pennines]

I have attached a Parish Register of a marriage at St Nicholas in Liverpool in 1826.
This is for a John Leadbeater (or variant) - parents James and Mary - nee 'Donolly'.

The entry includes the word 'Conj' - indicating that these parents were a married couple.

Does anyone know if priests sought proof of marriage BEFORE stating 'Conj' on a baptism, please?

I ask because I have NEVER found a marriage of James Leadbeatter/Leadbetter etc to Mary Donnolly/Donnelly etc.

James was from Scotland and Mary from Ireland or Liverpool  -- (I suspect Ireland - but after 1841 census, she shows Liverpool on census records.)

[greenrig]

Before statutory registration, of course.  What kind of proof could be offered?   If the couple were married elsewhere in England or Scotland or Ireland, there might only be a parish register entry for the marriage. Who is going to check, and how, if the couple insist they are married ?

[coombs]

No I don't think they needed to show proof of marriage at that time. The vicar just took their words for it.

[Pennines]

Thank you greenrig and coombs for your reply and thoughts.

So basically the Priest just believed the parents (who, of course weren't supposed to tell untruths, especially in the R.C. faith!)
 
Actually, I had assumed (and we should never 'assume' should we!) - that they may have a 'marriage' paper issued - much like a baptismal certificate was issued at R.C. baptisms.

[greenrig]

Maybe the marrying priest issued some certificate. But you could just say it was lost, or never issued. Maybe the man, or woman, registering the birth was not the same person as on such a certificate anyway. There was no concept then of proof of identity.  Simpler times, and much taken on trust. Who would risk lying to a priest?  If they said they were married, then they probably were.

[Wexflyer]

But that isn't a marriage, is it.
It is a baptism.

[jds1949]

Assuming that they had married in a Catholic church then any record of such a marriage might be difficult to find as not all Catholic church records are in the public domain. As Liverpool drew in people from Ireland and the North-West and beyond as it grew at that time, the place of any such marriage becomes even more problematic. The, as now, it was customary to marry at the bride's church, so that is where I would start, but you probably have already gone down that road.
jds1949

[Pennines]

Thank you all, when I realised the word 'Conj' was on the baptism of the child - it just made me wonder if the Priest sought evidence of marriage from the parents before stating that.

I know my RC Mother in Law had a baptismal certificate - so it came to me that a similar document may have been issued for RC marriages.

Not something I had thought about before, as this couple (the parents) have been a brick wall for years prior to their children's baptisms.

I was clutching at straws!!

[reets3]

A Roman Catholic priest would not just take the parent's word that they were married in the Catholic faith.  If they were from a different parish, they would need to provide some documentation from the parish where they married. If the parents were not married, a note of illegitimate (or natural child) would be noted on the baptismal record.

The priests received remuneration for performing the sacraments, so you can be assured that the priest would check to see if there was a marriage, if only to get the benefit of performing two sacraments.