Regarding Ballater Church, St Nathalan:
Could somebody please tell me exactly where this was in Ballater?
My 3x great grandad George Sector was baptised there (according to "Scotlands People" website) on the 26th of June 1832. It was apparently a Roman Catholic Church.
But the problem is on google, the only reference I can find to a St Nathalan Church which was in Ballater, was one which was not built until 1905.
Scotlands people definitely gives it as "Ballater, St Nathalan." But confusingly family search give his baptism place as: "Braemar and Glengairn, Aberdeenshire, Scotland."
Braemar and Glencairn is the name of a Catholic parish. I assume that Ballater is included in the parish. I'm unfamiliar with Aberdeenshire geography or parish structure.
GENUKI for Aberdeenshire
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/ABD/parishesAccording to GENUKI church database, foundation date of St. Nicholas, Ballater is unknown.
Catholic congregations in Britain existed post-Reformation until 18th or 19th centuries, without having church buildings, or at least without traditional church buildings. The countries of Britain were mission countries. There were no Catholic dioceses or parishes then. The Catholic congregation in the town where I live (Scotland) used to have services in an upper room in a pub until a church was built in 3rd decade of 19thC. Some priests travelled around to visit their widespread flock.
Braemar and Glengairn R.C. parish records, previously held at Blair's College, Aberdeenshire, are now in Special Collections of Aberdeen University Library. Records date from early 18thC.
If a local laird in Ballater was Catholic he may have had a chapel in his house. Failing that, any Catholic who had a house with a room big enough to fit his/her Catholic neighbours in or an empty building.
One lot of my English R.C. ancestors attended Mass at the Hall during 18thC. Lord of the manor changed to C. of E. in 1800 and gave the congregation (400 of them) use of a barn on the edge of his park which they fitted up as a chapel. Another ancestor attended Mass in a room above the Catholic school in 19thC England - this was also common practice. In the latter case, a mission had been operating for Catholics in several small towns in the area since mid 19thC, served by priests from a larger town; a school was eventually opened but a church wasn't built for another 20 years.
Your ancestor may have been baptised at home if the baptism happened soon after birth. It was the custom for a message to be sent to a priest when a baby was born. The priest would visit the home to baptise the baby as soon as convenient, perhaps the same day if there was a local priest and he received the message early enough.
