Berrington RC

[Irene B]

I have found various Main ancestors' baptisms in the Berrington RC records, also some in Haggerston.  Would there have been a chapel or did the priest travel around?  If there was a chapel where was it and does anyone know where I can find a picture of it?

Irene B

[nort]

Hi Irene B
In the Northumberland book of the Buildings of England under Haggerston Castle it states there is a Chapel House near to the castle that was formerly a R.C. chapel (the Haggerstons were a Roman Catholic family).Someone living near might be able to photograph it for you.

regards
nort

[Irene B]

Thank you, I knew there was a Chapel at or near Haggerston Castle, the Mains were tenants and sometimes employees of the Haggerstons, there seems to be some overlap between the Berrington and Haggerston registers.  The Berrington chapel remains a mystery.  I know there is now a RC Church at Lowick, but I don't know if there is a connection between Berrington and Lowick.

[Michael Dixon]

Irene,

I too am struggling over the issue of RC services performed with or without benefit of a church or chapel ( Cowpen,near Blyth)

Michael Gandy has written several books on the history of Roman Catholicism in Northumberland ( and also the rest of UK )

e.g. "Catholic Missions and Registers, 1700-1800"

For Berrington he writes that there was a "domestic" chapel from late 1700s, sponsored by the Clavering family.

The adjective "domestic" usually meant that the chapel was either in a house, was attached to a house, or adjacent to a house and was usually private ( like Croxdale in Co Durham)

In this case , likely to be the Clavering house in Berrington.

There was a similar situation in Haggerston, with the Haggerston family, which was served by Jesuits up to 1805, then by Bendictines up to 1846.

Then it gets complicated... Berrington and Haggerston were then included in the territory served by the parish priest from Wooler, St Ninian, saying Mass about once a month throughout his area. This also included a mission at Ellingham and services at Seahouses.

This continual changing of arrangements seem to show the RC church , in early days, struggling to provide an efficient and practicable services to area prior to the re-establishment of the church in England.

But I do not know whether the Berrington "domestic chapel" is still standing. Maybe the 1993 Michael Gandy book, " An Atlas", which shows dating and location of RC churchesand chapels, will provide the answer.


Michael Dixon,
Blyth, Northumberland

[Irene B]

Thank you Michael. 

I have found it very difficult to fill the gaps with this part of my family, I find them among Dissenters in some parish registers, then the baptisms in RC registers - when they are there they are very informative with dates of birth and mother's maiden name.  Marriages and burials usually crop up in Parish registers, but sometimes I just cannot find them.  Even on 1767 Return of Papists, there are 3 families of Mains including 2 Ignatiuses in North Northumberland, I still can't be sure which one is my ancestor.

I was hoping to find out where the chapel was or is so I could get a photo.

Irene

[scrumsrus]

there seems to be some overlap between the Berrington and Haggerston registers. The Berrington chapel remains a mystery. I know there is now a RC Church at Lowick, but I don't know if there is a connection between Berrington and Lowick.

These three "parishes" are all neighbouring, at least I can not think of one that would get in the way.  So maybe a single Priest would have served them all, certainly Berrington would not be big enough to have a priest of their own.  Unless it is just a chapel within a bigger parish which is most likely.  I hope this helps even if it is so long after your original post.

[frek]

Hi -both Berrington & Haggerston belonged to Durham until c.1837. You might find the people you want in the IGI/LDS for Durham rather than Northumberland.

Roman Catholic events were often dual entered in both RC and Anglican Churches.

Only Berrington marriages are online 1844-1876 and neither baptisms or marriages for Haggerston.

If it is a specific enquiry I will probably have time to look it up for you when I am at Berwick RO on Thursday.
Hope this helps.

Frek.

[Irene B]

Thank you for the offer, but I have all of the entries that exist from Northumberland RO.

I wanted to know if there was an actual chapel where the events took place or whether the priest travelled around all of the time.  I know some baptisms took place in homes since the record states the locations.

Irene

[Northerngirl]

Hi Irene

I have just read the posts to your inquiry.  My great grandmother,  as much as I can make out was born at Cheswick.  When I pursued her own mother's baptism in the C of E baptisms for Ancroft I found that her parents were actually at Berrington.  Having not heard of the place I then managed to locate it on an old map in the Woodhorn Centre.  Berrington is to the east of Cheswick.  I had a look at the (old)  map for quite some time and could not see much of what would constitute even a hamlet.  As much as I recall - as I too was looking for likely churches for baptism records - I could not see anything.  When I go back tomorrow I'll get the map out again and have a look for you.

For a long time practicing your Roman Catholicism was illegal and (certainly for western Ireland) many masses may have been held in secret or in the open air as was experience in Ireland.

I know that Biddlestone - which is near Alwinton - had a secret RC church which has been discovered recently and is probably being renovated.  As much as I recall it belong to the family at Biddlestone who were determined to continue their faith fore by in secret. It may be that the Berrington church was not mentioned on the map.  The mix of religious baptisms may also have been a reflection of this as the dissenter faiths had to register their births with the C. of E.

I have a book written about the old families, their buildings and villages from Berwick to Blyth and back.  If I can find where its hiding I'll have a look for you.

Yours J.A.