RootsChat.Com

> Have just checked for a marriage in Lans OPC fo a John Unsworth & Elizabeth Hayes in 1899 at Leigh but is no showing although covers that period. (Did a full search of Lancs). Found the GRO index for them but not 100% sure as something is puzzling me about the surname Hayes

LanOPC is a work in progress and so is incomplete.  The registers are church registers and are usually from Anglican churches, though registers from other churches are being added as quickly as possible.

The local index for Leigh shows -

UNSWORTH John; HAYES Elizabeth; Leigh Register Office or Registrar Attended; Wigan & Leigh Ref ROL/57/92

indicating that the marriage was performed by the Registrar and recorded in his register.  This means that the marriage took place in the Register Office or in a non-Anglican chapel that had not had an Authorised Person appointed.  The post of Authorised Person was established in 1898 to allow non-Anglican chapels to have one of their congregation able to act as the registrar for marriages, so by 1899 only a few chapels, mainly non-conformist chapels, would have had one appointed.

The indexes of marriages tend to quote only the bride's name at the time of the marriage, so if Elizabeth were a widow her maiden name would not usually be shown.

Obtaining the marriage certificate would resolve this question.  Obtaining the copy from the Wigan and Leigh Register Office will provide you with a copy (hand written, or maybe a photocopy) of the original register.  The Copy from the GRO will be from a copy register at least two transcriptions from the original entry.

Hi, Tom,

Heywood has provided the basic information about this home.  The article in the Tablet shows that it was a home for working boys and that it was opened in 1897 to replace one that had become too small.  It is listed as a home belonging to the [Salford] Catholic Protection and Rescue Society which was the Salford Diocesan organisation that provided care for vulnerable children and children in need.

This home is listed in the 1898 Catholic Directory [for Great Britain] as -

Catholic Protection and Rescue Society ... Home for Working Boys: Fairy Hill, Waterloo-road, Manchester.

This listing continued until at least 1916.  The 1920 Catholic Directory describes the home as a ‘Home for Small Boys’ and this continued until the 1923 Catholic Directory.  The home is not listed in the 1924 Catholic Directory.

The Catholic Protection and Rescue Society is now part of Caritas Diocese of Salford.  You should address enquiries to -

Caritas Diocese of Salford,
Cathedral Centre
3 Ford Street
Salford
M3 6DP
0161 817 2250
E-mail: info@caritassalford.org.uk

I feel that it is unlikely that any records will survive from this home, ninety years after it has closed, but that is not a good reason for not contacting Caritas.  It may be able to provide background information.

Hope this helps

Jim Lancaster (Bury, Lancs.)

A copy of the GRO Marriage Index shows

Surname, First name(s); Spouse; District  Vol  Page     
Marriages Sep 1944
DONOUGHER, Joseph; Bawden; Crosby  8b 1173 

The local Registrar's Index has -

Lancashire Marriage indexes for the years: 1944
Surname, Forename(s); Surname, Forename(s); Church / Register Office; Registers At; Reference   
DONOUGHER, Joseph; BAWDEN, Alice; South Sefton Register Office or Registrar Attended; South Sefton CR/13/127

Taken together these two show that joseph DONOUGHER married Alice BAWDEN in July, August or September 1944, and it is likely that the marriage took place in the Register Office or a Catholic church - most Non-Conformist churches had an Authorised Person for marriages by this time.

The GRO Birth Indexes have the four entries in the period 1944 - 1947 with mother's Maiden Names, PENDER, BAWDEN, and POWER (2)

This suggests that there are three DONOUGHER families in the greater Liverpool area at this time.

Checking the GRO Marriage Index again shows three entries with the groom DONOUGHER for a fairly narrow year range.  The bride's names are BAWDEN (1944) spouse Joseph, POWER (1946) spouse William, and GREEN (1946) spouse Joseph

I was unable to find a death of an Alice DONOUGHER in the GRO Death indexes for 1944 - 1947

As has been suggested, the only source of more information will be the marriage certificates.

Hope this helps,

jim Lancaster (Bury, Lancs.)

Hi, Romilly,

You are looking for children with parents William and Alice Wilson born around 1860.  Further to BumbleBee's note, the following MIGHT be your family -

Marriage Indexes 
Surname, Forename(s); Spouse's Surname Spouse's, Forename(s); Year; Church / Register Office; Registers At Reference
WILSON, William; KAY, Alice; 1852; Prestwich, St.Mary; Bury CE18/15/389

Marriage: 6 Sep 1852 St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich, Lancashire, England
 William Wilson - 23, Stonemason, Bachelor, Back Lane
 Alice Kay - 21, Dressmaker, Spinster, Back Lane, Prestwich
     Groom's Father: Henry Wilson, Stonemason
     Bride's Father: Benjamin Kay, Publican
     Witness: David Kay; Hannah Wilson
     Married by Banns by: Henry Mildred Birch, Curate
     Register: Marriages 1851 - 1852, Page 195, Entry 389
     Source: LDS Film 2356227

Birth Indexes
Surname, Forename(s); Mother's Maiden Name; Year; Sub-District, Registers At, Reference
WILSON, Margaret Ann; KAY; 1853; Prestwich, Bury PREST/5/40

Baptism: 29 May 1853 St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich, Lancashire, England
 Margaret Ann Wilson - [Child] of William Wilson & Alice
     Abode: Prestwich
     Occupation: Stonemason
     Baptised by: H.M. Birch, Rector
     Register: Baptisms 1843 - 1863, Page 260, Entry 2074
     Source: LDS Film 2356183

WILSON, Mary Ellen; KAY; 1854; Prestwich, Bury, PREST/5/91
WILSON, Henry; KAY; 1856; Prestwich, Bury, PREST/6/63
WILSON, Isaac; KAY; 1859; Prestwich, Bury, PREST/7/42
WILSON, Harriet; KAY; 1861; Prestwich, Bury PREST/8/24

Baptism: 10 Mar 1861 St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich, Lancashire, England
 Harriet Wilson - [Child] of William Wilson & Alice
     Abode: Clayton St. Prestwich
     Occupation: Stone Mason
     Baptised by: S. E. Bartlet
     Register: Baptisms 1843 - 1863, Page 442, Entry 3530
     Source: LDS Film 2356183

WILSON, Margaret; KAY; 1863; Prestwich, Bury PREST/9/8
WILSON, Janet; KAY; 1865; Prestwich, Bury PREST/9/97
WILSON, Elizabeth Ann; KAY; 1867; Prestwich, Bury PREST/10/67
WILSON, Jane; KAY; 1867; Prestwich, Bury PREST/10/67

Baptism: 29 May 1853 St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich, Lancashire, England
 Margaret Ann Wilson - [Child] of William Wilson & Alice
     Abode: Prestwich
     Occupation: Stonemason
     Baptised by: H.M. Birch, Rector
     Register: Baptisms 1843 - 1863, Page 260, Entry 2074
     Source: LDS Film 2356183

There are deaths that match the above births -

Death Indexes
Surname, Forename(s); Age at Death; Year; Sub-District, Registers At, Reference
WILSON, Margaret Ann; 2; 1856; Prestwich, Bury PREST/5/35
WILSON, Henry; 1; 1857; Prestwich, Bury PREST/5/89
WILSON, Elizabeth Ann; 0; 1867; Prestwich, Bury PREST/10/13
WILSON, Jane; 0; 1867; Prestwich, Bury PREST/10/12
WILSON Margaret 5 1868 Prestwich Lancashire Bury PREST/10/92

There is a death that MIGHT be the father -

Surname, Forename(s); Age at Death; Year; Sub-District, Registers At, Reference
WILSON, William; 38; 1867; Prestwich, Bury PREST/9/96

Burial: 16 Jan 1867 St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich, Lancashire, England
 William Wilson - son of Henry Wilson
     Age: 38
     Abode: Prestwich
     Buried by: H. M. Birch, Rector
     Register: Burials 1861 - 1872, Page 170, Entry 1357
     Source: LDS Film 2356234

You will need to check that these match the information you have about this family,

Hope this helps

Jim Lancaster (Bury, Lancs.)

You ask about records for St James CE Church, Ashworth, ca 1813.  This church is a church of the Anglican Diocese of Manchester and the place of safety for the old registers of this diocese is the Diocesan Archives that are now part of 'Archives Plus' in Manchester.  The listing of the holdings of 'Archives Plus' is to be found at http://www.manchester.gov.uk/directory/100/church_registers    I find it easiest to use the A-Z listing, but you may have to modify your search.  Nothing is found if you look under A for Ashworth, but looking for St James finds this church.  It is at http://www.manchester.gov.uk/directory_record/127554/st_james_ashworth

The entry shows -

St James: Ashworth
Births, Baptisms and Confirmations
Baptisms-1813-1843- MFPR 153
Baptisms-1843-1958- MFPR 1203

Burials, Graves and Deaths
Burials-1813-1848- MFPR 153
Burials-1848-1913- MFPR 1203

Marriages/Registers
Marriage Index-1824-1840- Rossendale Fiche A2
Marriages-1824-1835- MFPR 153
[endquote]

The MFPR references are references to the film copies of the original registers held in the Archives.  This shows that there are no registers held by Archives Plus before 1813.  I "THINK" there was a fire at the church around that time and the earlier registers were destroyed.  I have NO documentary reference for this.

Sorry not to be more help,

Jim Lancaster (Bury, Lancs.)