COMPLETED - THORNTON - ULGHAM PARISH REGISTERS

[c-side]

Hi Vivian

I didn’t check the Longhorsley records.  Based on what you said I thought it would be easier to look at George Bell’s marriage index for 1813 to 1837.  There were 5 Robert Thornton marriages listed but none to an Elizabeth and none close to 1820.  The nearest to that date were 1814 and 1824.

I’m not sure where to go from there - unless either of them had a second christian name they might have used.

Christine

[Vivian Simmonds]

Hi Christine

I don't know of any other Christian names for Robert or Elizabeth and I think I may have to accept that I will never find a marriage for them.

Again my sincere thanks for the time you have spent on this.

Best wishes.

Vivian

[Vivian Simmonds]

Hi again Christine

Going forward on the Thornton line I think they may have been Roman Catholic.  Jane Thornton, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth, certainly had her children baptised in the Roman Catholic cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne and as I know for certain that John Proctor (her husband) was definitely Church of England catholicism has had to come from the Thornton side of my family.

I wonder whether this is why we haven't found a marriage for Robert and Elizabeth?

I am really sorry I haven't mentioned this before.  If you have a minute would you be kind enough to let me have your thoughts on this and perhaps give me some indication of where I might go from here in tracing a Catholic marriage.

Best wishes.

Vivian

[c-side]

It sounds like they probably were Roman Catholic but this would not be the explanation for the missing marriage.

From Hardwicke's Marriage Act in 1754 to civil registration in 1837 it was the law in England that all marriages took place in a Church of England Church.  The only exceptions were Quakers and Jews.

That's why you find a lot of Presbyterians living near the Scottish border were married in Scotland where that law didn't apply.

I'm not sure what Catholics did - I suspect that they endured the C of E marriage and then had a quiet religeous ceremony of their own!  Unless some of them didn't bother with legal marriage and considered themselves married within their own beliefs which could explain the missing record.

Christine

[Vivian Simmonds]

Hi Christine

I think that is the end of the search for the marriage of Robert and Elizabeth.  I was hoping the 'Catholic'  introduction may have led me to search somewhere else but as they would have had to marry in a Church of England church it has ruled out looking in any Catholic church parish registers.

Thank you for explaining this and again for all the help you have given.

Best wishes.

Vivian