Genealogy Chat

hi all first i wrote the other day about my mother and aunt being put into a convent around 1910 in lewisham i do know that she was born in islington as both of their b/certs were distroyed in a fire and can not trace them that way.first would my mother have to of been a catholic to have been brought up in a convent as iam c of e so she must of changed religion to marry my father. and second is it true days after birth catholic childern are blessed in church if that is the case and i can find the church do you think they may still have records of a bleesing hope to here from someone who may know many thanks george.

I can't help you with your query abou the RC church, but wondered what you meant about the certs being destroyed in a fire?? Do you mean their own copies were destroyed or something else? Marry

Can you not obtain copies of their certs from the GRO? Liz

hi no there is no trace what so ever of any certificates to be found george

But they must have been registered. Have you looked through the GRO birth index? Liz

Could it be that their birth names are not what you are expecting? Do you feel you can post their names on here (and any dates)?? Merry

hi i have been on every angle you can think of there is no files what so ever main record office and i even payed a genealogist who took weeks said he could not even find anything.( sorry i was so long just had my tea) george

p.s sorry mothers name and d.o.b can be found here 20/03/06 at 15.08 george

Hope you don't mind, George, but I nudged your other thread up as it was not very easy to find using your directions! Kate.

ok george

This may sound rude, I don't mean it to, but how can you know where they were born?? If the births were not registered (at least not under the names you know) would this information have come from what your mother and her sister were told? and if so, by whom?? Merry

hi merry well i do know by my older sister that my mother new she was born in islington london at the age of two she and my aunt were put into a convent in lewisham when she was older she found an address of where her father lived and that he was a stone mason but as my aunt would not go with her to see him she never went so i do think the key to all this is in the convent which i can not find any files on and why i say all my mothers b/certs are burnt is st.catherines house was bombed in the war and they had said to her there is no files george

If they were placed in an orphanage at an early age, they would not know what names they were registered under at birth. What I think you mean is that the records which would have their original birth certs (and threfore the clue to their birth identity, parentage etc in ) were destroyed. So did either of them ever have a passport? nell

I know that up until recently the catholic church had a ceremony to 'bless' new mothers, as a thanks for a safe delivery, I think it was called 'birthing' but I could be wrong. I am not sure if formal records were kept, as in the case of baptisms, it may just be that it was done in a normal Sunday mass and no record was made. It is not done anymore though, I am RC and have had 2 children, never required to be 'birthed'.

hi well as far as i know the answer to that is no. george

Not sure if she necessarily had to 'change' religion to marry your father, if they were married in a C of E church then her catholicism may well have just been accepted. If your father was Cof E your parents may have just decided on that religion for you. I suppose in a marriage of 'mixed' religions then you choose one or the other for the children.

Well bombing at St Catherine's House would only destroy one copy of the certs.....but never mind that now. As you say, if no one can find the certs at Islington Reg Office, then there must be some problem or other. Have you looked at this site? http://www.maternalheart.org/chapel.htm Merry

The one that Janet found was Eileen, not Ellen, but could still be her? Kate.

You didnt have to CHANGE your religion to marry in a different church. I,m C Of E but hubby is Catholic. we married in the Catholic Church because his religion was more important to him than me!! I only had to attend talks by his parish priest for 6 weeks before the wedding to aquaint myself with his beliefs but i didnt convert to the Catholic religion this was in 1957

I dont think you necessarily had to be a Catholic to be brought up in a Convent either. I have read instances of non-Catholics being put in Catholic Orphanages - and being 'punished' for not being Catholic! If this was MY puzzle, I would certainly get the two NEAL certs. Olde Crone