Papist return of 1767 look up please

[mlmcholm]

Hi. A while back I saw a thread on rootsweb concerning the papist return of 1767 for Richard Rigby of Haighton. I can no longer find the thread, but wish to revue the information. I have been in touch with the parliament archives, but they could not help me.  If anyone could do a look up it would be appreciated. Many thanks

[hepburn]

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01nog/


is this it?

[mlmcholm]

Yes hepburn it is. Still looking for Richards father!!!! I have a hunch it’s a Nicholas Rigby because of a possible naming pattern

[mlmcholm]

Maybe I didn’t make my request clear enough. The thread wasn’t on here, but on rootsweb? Is this now run by Ancestry? I think the thread was initially about a William Rigby marriage to Anne Gournall. Sorry for the confusion.

[lancaster.jim]

“Returns of Papists, 1767, Dioceses of England and Wales, except Chester” trans. E.S. Worrall, Catholic Record Society (Occasional Pub No. 2) (1989)  has -

p.144
180   Broughton   A List of the Papists in Haighton in the Chapelry of Broughton and Parish of Preston.

p.146
[Name         Age   Occupation    Residence]
Richard Rigby      40   Husbandman   3 months
his Wife      47
Nicholas      21
George      19
Richard      17
William       14
James      12
Elizabeth      9
Alice         4

There is no other information.  Hope it helps.

[mlmcholm]

Wow, thanks lancaster Jim. At least it gives me a possible dob for Richard. Much appreciated!

[lancaster.jim]

> At least it gives me a possible dob for Richard.

There are no Catholic baptism registers from this period – it would have been dangerous to keep such, as Catholics (Papists) were treated with suspicion and at times were persecuted.

The nearest Catholic mission was quite close to Haighton, at Fernyhalgh.  Its surviving registers were transcribed and published by the Catholic Record Society (CRS) about 100 years ago BUT they only start in 1771

The 1767 Return of Papists published by the CRS was transcribed over 40 years ago, when computers were not available to most people.  Pencil and paper, and typewriters would have been used, so it would not have been easy to check the transcript.  With that in mind, I am suspicious of Richard's age – 40 years.  His wife is stated as 47 years, and his son, Nicholas, as 21 years.  If these ages are correct. Nicholas was born when Richard was 19 and his wife 26.  Yes, these are possible ages.  I wonder if Richard's age should have been 46, as 0 and 6 can be confused in some hands. Likewise, it is possible his wife's age MAY have been 41 as 1 and 7 may be confused.

The local Anglican church was probably St John the Baptist, Broughton.  Its parish registers start in  1653 and have been transcribed and published by the Lancashire Parish Register Society (LPRS).  These are probably too late for Richard's marriage.  As Broughton was in the ancient parish of Preston, Richard's marriage may have been celebrated there, but the LPRS does not seem to have transcribed these registers.  The situation is further complicated by Richard and his family having been resident in Haighton for only 3 months when the Return was made and there is no indication of where they lived prior to this.

[lancaster.jim]

Using the Lancashire On-Line Parish Clerk site (http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Search/indexp.html ) and looking for Richard Rigby buried 1787+/-20 years showed -

Burial: 24 Apr 1803 St John the Baptist, Broughton, Lancashire, England
Richd. Rigby -
    Age: 83
    Abode: Haighton
    Register: Burials 1759 - 1803, Page 60, Entry 7
    Source: LDS Film 1470861

This suggests that he was born ca 1820.  This site also has the following that MIGHT be this family -

Burial: 9 Apr 1780 St John the Baptist, Broughton, Lancashire, England
Ellen Rigby - Wife of Richd. Rigby
    Abode: Haighton
    Register: Burials 1759 - 1803, Page 25, Entry 26
    Source: LDS Film 1470861

Marriage: 7 Nov 1774 St John the Baptist, Broughton, Lancashire, England
Nicholas Rigby - Husbandman, Haighton in this Chapelry within the Parish of Preston
Jennet Carter - (X), Spinster, Broughton in this Chapelry within the Parish of Preston
    Witness: Wm. Blacow; John Arkwright
    Banns Read: 23 Oct 1774, 2nd: 30 Oct 1774, 3rd: 6 Nov 1774
    Married by Banns by: Ran: Andrews, Vicar
    Register: Marriages 1754 - 1805, Page 27, Entry 109
    Source: LDS Film 1470861

Marriage: 23 Sep 1783 St John the Baptist, Broughton, Lancashire, England
Richard Rigby - Husbandman, Haighton in the Parish of Preston
Mary Forrest - (X), Broughton in the Parish of Preston
    Witness: Mary Dunderdale, (X); John Arkwright
    Banns Read: 7 Sep 1783, 2nd: 14 Sep 1783, 3rd: 21 Sep 1783
    Married by Banns by: George Charnley, Curate
    Register: Marriages 1754 - 1805, Page 43, Entry 171
    Source: LDS Film 1470861

Marriage: 1 May 1775 St John, Preston, Lancashire, England
William Rigby - (X), Husbandman, Haighton of this Parish
Anne Gornall - Spinster, Fulwood in the Parish of Lancaster
    Witness: Henry Barns; Nicholas Rigby
    Married by Licence by: R. Andrews Curate of Broughton
    Notes: [Bride signed] Ann Rigby late Gornall
    Register: Marriages 1754 - 1778, Page 42, Entry 1075
    Source: LDS Film 1278740

Marriage: 28 Jul 1782 St John, Preston, Lancashire, England
James Rigby - Husbandsman, Haighton in the Chapelry of Broughton in the parish of Preston
Elizabeth Ward - Spinster, Haighton in the Chapelry of Broughton in the parish of Preston
    Witness: Robert Townley; Henry Simpson
    Married by Licence by: Josh. Southward Curate
    Register: Marriages 1778 - 1785, Page 82, Entry 240
    Source: LDS Film 94013

Marriage: 26 Jul 1785 St Anne, Woodplumpton, Lancashire, England
Richard Rawsthorne - (X), Haighton in the Parish of Broughton
Elizabeth Rigby - Haighton in the Parish of Broughton
    Witness: John Crook; Thos. Cookson
    Married by: Matthew Worthington Curate
    Notes: [Neither Banns nor Licence specified]
    Register: Marriages 1784 - 1803, Page 4, Entry 10
    Source: LDS Film 1470949

Marriage: 15 May 1784 St John the Baptist, Broughton, Lancashire, England
Richard Mayor - Haighton in the Parish of Preston
Alice Rigby - (X), Haighton in the Parish of Preston
    Witness: Betty Rigby; John Arkwright
    Banns Read: 18 Apr 1784, 2nd: 25 Apr 1784, 3rd: 2 May 1784
    Married by Banns by: Geo: Charnley, Curate
    Notes: [Groom signed] Richd. Mayor
    Register: Marriages 1754 - 1805, Page 44, Entry 177
    Source: LDS Film 1470861

There is also this one from a nearby place -

Marriage: 10 Apr 1804 St Mary the Virgin, Goosnargh, Lancashire, England
George Rigby - (X), Goosnargh
Ellen Miller - (X), Goosnargh
    Witness: Richard Rigby, (X); Henry Grimbalston
    Married by Banns by: Joshua Southward Minister
    Notes: Banns published; dates not given; Brides status not given
    Register: Marriages 1784 - 1812, Entry 641
    Source: LDS Film 1470930

Hope these help.

[mlmcholm]

Thank you lancaster Jim, a great help. Just so many Rigby’s! I have wondered also about a Fulwood connection. I did find an entry for a Nicholas Rigby in estates of lancashire papists, for 1723/24, yeoman. Nicholas had a wife Alice, and these names feature in the family. There is also land records for Heskin, Miller estate, for Nicholas Rigby in 1721, and the same, Miller estate for Richard and Ellen from Haighton 1775. Truly fascinating! The Singleton connection is intriguing too. Many thanks again.