Catholic Confirmation records - completed, thank you

[elin]

Ancestry have some wonderful new parish records for the Liverpool area. 

I am confused by the Catholic confirmation records as the names of the parents don't seem to correspond to the children.

I am looking for John Merrigan who according to census records was born in Swansea abt 1861, although I have never found a birth record for him.
He later lived in Liverpool and could have been confirmed there, is it possible that he could have had a different birth name? 

Am I right in thinking that a child would normally have been confirmed at around the age of 13?

I would be grateful for any help.

Thanks Elin

[Barbara.H]

Hi Elin,

I was looking at these too and for the one I was looking at, the 'father's name' on the Ancestry search turned out to be that of the godparent or sponsor.  The column was headed 'nomina patrinorum' which means names of godparents. The image I looked at, the same chap had been godfather to the whole page of kids! So maybe he was the one who had been instructing them prior to confirmation.

(I didn't know the Latin, I looked it up  - useful crib sheet here!)
http://www.proni.gov.uk/general_information_series_-_latin_terminology_in_roman_catholic_church_registers.pdf

  Barbara

[elin]

Hi Barbara,

Thanks that makes good sense!   The crib sheet is very helpful too, I've been
finding it difficult finding my way through the Latin.

I've been on a roll, I've found a lot of really useful records!  

Elin 

[Plummiegirl]

As far a I can remember I had my First Holy Communion by about age 7/8 (English Martyrs, Rodney Rd, SE17)
And confirmation about 10/11 (St. Wilfrids, Lorrimore Rd, SE17).

Both done before I went to secondary school at 11 (Sept. 1964)

[Dancing Master]

It used to be done when the Archbishop attended the area in question this could be 2 years after First Communion or could be even 5/6 years it depended on the visitation dates for that particular Archbishop.

[elin]

Hi Plummiegirl and Dancing Master,

Thank you very much for the information, it gives me a better idea of
the time frame that I should be searching.  I wasn't aware that it was carried out by an Archbishop. 

Is the saints name given on confirmation likely to be used?  I am puzzled that I have never found a birth record and wonder if it could be under a different first name.

Thanks, Elin

[heywood]

Hi,
it was carried out by the Bishop- I suppose if there was a handy Archbishop he may have confirmed too.
The saint's name is not usually used afterwards.

[elin]

Hi Heywood,

Thank you, I can stop worrying about the name being a factor then. I suppose doing all the confirmations in an area would have been an awful lot of work for one Archbishop.

Elin 

[heywood]

Elin,
do you have his father's name from his marriage certificate?

heywood