Etal Presbyterian Church

[Emmybeth]

Can anyone help with the whereabouts of records from Etal Presbyterian Church. I have tried Berwick archives, Northumberland archives and Newcastle library. I asked at the visitor centre Ford /Etal and was told the church is now used as a visitor centre for Etal Castle. A small step forward but no records held there.

Here's hoping someone out there can help
Emmybeth

[JenB]

According to Genuki the baptism records 1769 - 1843 are at Northumberland Archives 
http://www.genuki.bpears.org.uk/NBL/Ford/ChurchRecords.html

[JenB]

A catalogue search of Northumberland Archives indicates that they are held at Berwick on Tweed. The reference  number given on the catalogue is BUR/P/22 and the title of the holding is Etal and Fenton Presbyterian Church Records 1769-1950.

[Tickettyboo]

Welcome to Rootschat :-)

As JenB says, they are held at Berwick, though Woodhorn may have microfilms too.

The Northumberland Archives catalogue isn't the most user friendly in the world (and is often offline) plus it moves like treacle in winter, so another source of info is the National Archives Discovery search which may tell you 'where' records are held even if not at the NA
I put in Etal Presbyterian and got this page of results which seems to have a lot more detail on scope/dates etc than Woodhorn.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=etal++presbyterian

Good luck with finding what you want.

Boo

[Emmybeth]

Thanks for a prompt reply Jen. I have seen some records at Northumberland but they were mainly minutes from church meetings. On my visit to Berwick the lady there told me they had nothing! Maybe I should try again with your reference but it is a long journey. Attempts to email them were no good as they didn't reply. I am looking for a possible marriage in 1820's??

Thanks Boo will have a look at that.

Emmybeth

[JenB]

On my visit to Berwick the lady there told me they had nothing! Maybe I should try again with your reference

Why don't you ring them up, armed with the references we've given you!

[Tickettyboo]

This could be why you were told that there are no available records. Until 1836 the only legally recognised place to get married in England was an Anglican Church. In Northumberland, non conformist folk would often nip over the border and be married in Scotland, or just comply and get married in the Anglican Church.

If you'd like others to have a look and see if we can find anything that may help, post the details and someone may be able to come up with something.


Boo

[JenB]

Yes, very easy to nip over into Scotland from somewhere like Etal. Or possibly  an 'irregular' marriage at Coldstream.

As Boo has said, do give us some names.

[c-side]

Apart from the marriage situation as above, the burials were generally carried out at Ford parish church and, depending on dates, a lot of births are recorded in dissenters sections of Ford PRs.  Some of them are included in the Durham Bishop's Transcripts for Ford on family search.

Are Berwick archives back in action?  Last I heard they had been moved into storage until their new location at the library was made ready.

Christine