Onion, Catholic baptism, Birmingham Diocese

[dionysus]

Hello
I am trying this in the hope that someone has access or knowledge of records for Black Ladies (St Mary, Brewood, Staffordshire - there is a similar request on staffs page) 1787-1844.

May be recorded as Onion or Onions.

In particular, I am looking for baptisms of:
Thomas Onion, about 1808 (could be as early as 1805);
Edward Onion, about 1806 (who I think were brothers); and
Sarah Onion (Thomas's aunt), about 1796.

Abode would probably be somewhere in the Bishops Wood or Horsebrook area, but I can't be certain.

I would also appreciate verification of a marriage:  Edward Onion to Jane Turner 26 Apr 1829.

Any help gratefully received.
Dion

[BumbleB]

Hi:  this is the link to the original thread. 

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=758110.msg6083570#msg6083570

[sgf28]

Marriage for Edward Onion to Jane Turner, 26th April 1829

Parish of Brewood, Staffs SS St Mary and Chad
Denomination: Anglican

Edward Onion, batchelor of the parish
Jane Turner, spinster of the parish

Witnesses: Thomas Upton and Zacharias Boyden

[dionysus]

Thankyou.  Much appreciated.
I think this was the Edward whose baptism I seek.
Dion

[ciderdrinker]

Hello
I had a look at the other Onion marriages in Brewood about the same time and it does look like they all relate.
Thomas Onions married Sarah Upton 2.5.1830 witnesses James Turner and Maria Upton.
Maria Onions married Thomas Upton 28.4.1829 witnesses Edward Onions and Zacherias Boyden.

It looks from the census that Maria was born c 1809 in Brewood and they are all siblings.

It gets more complicated with Thomas Onions son of Thomas born 1808 marrying Mary d of Edward born 1806 at Brewood 15.3.1869.

As Catholics at before 1837 they would have had to marry in a Church of England church for their marriage to be legal.
This would explain burials and marriages at Brewood Anglican church but no christenings.
The local catholic church I believe was at Wolverhampton St Peters and St Pauls.The records are at Wolverhampton archives,Birmingham catholic archives and a printed copy of the early records by the Staffordshire Parish records society is at Birmingham archives.

Familysearch has their parents  as Thomas Onions and Mary Horton.
Extra siblings John 1812,Sarah 1814,James 1817 ,Elizabeth 1818,Frances 1819 ,Martha 1821 and Henry 1822.
Thomas and Mary seem to be on the 1841 and 1851 cenuses.
They married at Wolverhampton St Peters 9.9.1805 wit Thomas Fearn and Joseph Wainwright (who seems to be the verger).
It would fit with Edward's birth in 1805/1806 and he would be named after Thomas's father Edward.

The only Will I can see is Thomas Onions gent 1768 of Brewood on the Staffordshire name indexes site but their index only goes up to 1770.

 ps I've had a look at Brewood Anglican church online and Wolverhampton St Peters so their records are correct. There are loads of burials for children of Edward Onions in the 1780's and 90's who I think were uncles and aunts,Edward being Edward and Thomas's grandfather.

Ciderdrinker

[BumbleB]

From the other thread:

From Staffordshire - Genuki

Nonconformist Registers
The original registers of the Brewood Congregation Chapel covering Births and Baptisms, 1810-1837 are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office.
The original registers of Brewood Roman Catholic Church of St Mary from 1844, and the Roman Catholic Chapels at Chillington (1720-1787) and Blackladies (1787-1844) which preceded St Mary are deposited at the Birmingham Diocesan Archive.
A transcript of the registers of Chillington RC Chapel was published by the Staffordshire Parish Register Society in 1959 and has been reprinted by the Birmingham & Midland SGH.

[dionysus]

Thanks, both, especially Ciderdrinker.

That really is first rate!  I had stumbled upon what I thought was the first cousins marriage.  Now I think there is enough evidence to link Thomas and Edward to the same parents, along with aunt Sarah (from census).  What I had missed was the legislative situation, so I was looking in the wrong place.  I know a lot of Wolverhampton records are online, so I will start there.

Thanks again
Dion

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
Just in case you haven't made it to the archives yet.While I was at the library I've searched Wolverhampton St Peters and Pauls 1788-1830
Only one entry for Onions
Edward Onions 11.3.1812 born 9th march s of Edward and sussannah Onions godparents Edward and Margaret Southwell by Edward Blount

also did Chillington 1720-1770 and Cresswell 1780-1819 catholic records with no luck.
So they must be at Blackladies.

Ciderdrinker

[dionysus]

Aw thanks!  I am still peeling back the layers of my Onion folk.  I think the "s" is significant in this case.  I managed to find some useful sources.  Online is Susie's Tree, which I have used as a guide and everything I've tested against records so far works out.  I also found some records of marriage at Brewood St Mary and St Chad (FindMyPast images) during the time that I thought Black Ladies was being used.  St Mary and St Chad seems to have been the choice for Catholics to comply with legal requirements.  It may be that they also had a ceremony at Black Ladies, and a second Anglican one to make it legal - a similar thing happens in Germany, where the only legal wedding is at the Register Office, though many couples also have church ceremionies.  Sikhs do the same sort of thing here.