Genealogy Chat

slightly confused as to why any fire at St Catherine's house would have anything to do with records. During and before the war as far as I know up until 1970s or 80's the records were all at Somerset House. It is also possible that they would have been removed from London during the war as so many other things were - works of art and government department records etc. Just wondered Eileen

Hi George: I know that when my grandfather's siblings were placed (the girls in a Catholic convent and boys in two separate Catholic orphanages) those who hadn't yet been baptised in the Catholic church had to be baptised before they were processed into the placement system by the Catholic Children's Society. I traced these children first through their local church in Lewisham where they were living when their mother died and then sent the baptism and date of births information to the Catholic Children's Society. They used that information and traced the placements of these children. Linda

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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'.

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

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

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

ok 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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