The Georgii Shippen I am stuck on is recorded as baptised in Durham 27th Feb 1768 with no specific place that I can find. He married Sare (sic) Reed on the 14th June 1784. Their eldest son Thomas was born 5th March 1785 and baptised 11th March at St Thomas Aquino (RC) church Stella Nr Ryton.
He was followed by twins? George and John 27 February 1787, Ann 14 December 1789, two Stevens 1793 and 1794 the first one having died as an infant. Then came John 28 March 1799 and finally in my research Anthony 15 May 1804. All born/registered in Stella.
I was told by a catholic priest in Ryton that the current church is much more recent than these dates and that worship took place in local 'Great Houses'. Records seem hard to find
Hello
According to the transcribed Banns Registers of Ryton, Sarah REED was from Medomsley.
https://archive.org/stream/theregistersofry00rytoGeographical Information (Online)
Medomsley is a village in County Durham, England, about 2 miles northeast of the centre of Consett, 1 ¹⁄₂ miles south of Hamsterley and 1 mile southeast of Ebchester.
This might not be your SHIPPEN family? But perhaps worth checking the actual R. C. Baptism Registers or Images of them (if they have survived):-
Returns of Papists 1767 Volume 2 [Transcribed] Catholic Record Society
COUNTY DURHAM
Chester Le Street Deanery
EBCHESTER
Names Age, Occupation, Resident
John SHIPPEN, 60, Shoemaker, 38y
his wife, 54, 2y
John SHIPPEN, 33, do. 33y
dau. 4, 4y
son 2, 2y
[Signed:] Jonan. Jeffreson, Curate, 16 Sep. 1767
MEDOMSLEY [Signed:] Jonn. Jeffreson, Curate, 16 Sep. 1767
There is no surname REED listed
CommentsWhat surprises me (according to the Ryton transcriptions, if they are correct?) is that George Shippon married Sarah Reed, by Banns, rather than by Licence?
I was always taught that Staunch Catholics & Nonconformists would usually keep any contact with the Parish Church minimal (Hardwicke's Marriage Act had forced Catholics and Nonconformists (NC) into marrying at a Parish Church).
Some Staunch Catholics and NC wouldn't baptise or felt they couldn't marry in the Parish Church (C of E /Anglican) suggesting there may be no formal State Church (C of E / Parish) record.
TNA, Kew, website says some marriages were unlawful, suggesting some didn't formally marry according to Hardwicke's Marriage Act.
Mark