LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY AND HERALDRY SOCIETY

Rossendale Branch Newsletter June/July 2000

Changes at the Top.....

It was "All Change" at the Society’s AGM held at Preston on May 13th.

Derrick Walkden was nominated as President for a possible 6 year period to succeed Bill Taylor.

Two new Vice Presidents were appointed for life. These were Terry Walsh and Jim Topping. Terry was retiring as Chairman of the Society and Jim as Treasurer. The new Chairman will be Tony Foster from the Bury Group and the new Treasurer will be Peter Joslin from the Lancaster Group.

June Huntingdon (Accrington Branch) has very nobly taken over the task of Secretary from myself. As Tony was previously Minute Secretary and Project Co-ordinator, these two posts need to be filled and we are presently looking for volunteers.

New Microfiche......

We have received a bundle of microfiche for indexing:

Bacup Ebenezer Chapel - Births

Bacup Ebenezer Chapel - Burials to August 1766

Rawtenstall, Longholme Methodists. Births and Baptisms 24 Dec. 1826 - 1837.

Anyone interested should see me. It will be possible for you to take home a microfiche reader.

We have received a copy of the Blackburn Diocesan Directory 1999. This contains a great deal of useful information on churches and ministers and Church of England organisations within the Diocese. There are also some maps including one of Blackburn Town Centre, which could be useful for anyone attending our Out Visit next month

Blackburn Library Visit

The Society is opening a Family History Research Centre at Blackburn Library. Our Out Visit has been organised so that you can see the facilities available. If you wish to attend please give your names to Kathleen Ashburner. If you would like a lift please let us know. Maps are available for those who are unfamiliar with Blackburn. Meet outside the library at 7.30.

The Federation Publishing Company

has moved...

It is now located at Units 15 and 16 Chesham Industrial Centre, Oram St. Bury, Lancs. Bl9 6EN. Tel. 0161 797 3843.

There is now an "On Line Bookshop" with a secure Credit Card transactions facility on its website at www.familyhistorybooks.co.uk

For the latest news on publications visit the website catalogue at www.sales@ffhs.org.uk

Catholic Records.

Those of you who attended the Society’s AGM will have heard Anna Watson from the Lancashire Record Office talk about the availability of Catholic Records in Lancashire.

We were told that in 1715 and 1717 Acts were passed requiring Roman Catholics to register their names and estates with the Clerk of the Peace in the County where they resided.

Lord Hardwick’s Marriage Act of 1754 stipulated that all persons (except for Quakers and Jews) had to be married in a Church of England. This lasted until 1837.

It was not until 1829 that Roman Catholics were allowed to worship freely. In 1829 a Marriage Act allowed Non-Conformist Churches and Chapels to be licensed for the solemnization of marriages. Prior to Civil Registration a Royal Commission invited Non-Conformist Churches to deposit their early registers at the PRO. This included some Catholic registers which are available on microfilm at the LRO.

According to Michael Gandy in his book

Catholic Missions and Registers 1700 - 1880

a system of dioceses was set up in 1850 but the parish system did not exist until 1918. Before that priests served anyone they could reach.

.... in Rossendale:

Rawtenstall. St. James the Less, Burnley Road. (1828) In the 1851 religious census it was said "this church is too small to accommodate the congregation." It succeeded

the original mission chapel which was at Sunnyside Mills.

Original Registers: C & M 1836-1850 (LRO)

C 1854+, M 1854+ Conf 1861+ (All held at the Church) No burials or deaths. The earlier registers begin as "Sunnyside."

Copy Registers: C1876-1941 M1869-1941 Conf 1858=1940 held at LRO.

Bacup St. Mary. Bankside (1852)

The original registers are held at the church. They are not available on microfilm. C 1852+

M 1854+ Conf. 1854+. Some earlier entries may be at Rawtenstall.

Haslingden The Immaculate Conception (St Mary’s) Bury Road. (1854) Original Registers: C 1854+ M 1858+ Conf. 1861+ held at the church.

Copy Registers: C1876-1941 M1886-1941 held at LRO. Note- many of the original congregation came from County Mayo.

Useful Addresses

Catholic Family History Society NW Region Miss Maureen Fitzgibbon, Pinewood, Hawley Lane, Halebarns, Altrincham WA15 ODY

English Catholic History Association Mrs. RM Foster, 139A Seaview Road, Wallasey, Wirral L45 4NZ

Coming events, talks, conferences, exhibitions.

Saturday 24th June

York Family History Fair will be held at the Racecourse. Volunteers are required to help on our Lancashire Stand.

31st August to 2nd September

A major conference on 20th century records Forward to the Past has been organised by the Society of Genealogists, Imperial College, London. Further details from the SOG, 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA

Saturday 9th September

The North Wales Family History Fair Conference Centre, Llandudno 10.30am-4.30pm

Tuesday 19th to Tuesday 26th September.

Searching for that elusive Irish Ancestor. Family History Conference. Belfast & Dublin. Interested? See Rita Hirst for details.