Papist return of 1767 look up please

[Maiden Stone]

I also wondered about the age gap between Richard and Ellen. However there was a similar age gap between one set of my 5x great-grandparents whom I mentioned on the other thread about Richard Rigby's family.
Mine was also Richard. He married, aged 18; bride was 24. Their ages were recorded in C. of E. marriage register. These ages correspond to their ages on 1767 Return. He was included in C. of E. baptism register. Bride was not born in the parish. Their wedding was one of the earliest in Catholic marriage register. Their children were in C. of E. and R.C. baptism registers. My Richard died aged 41. Widow remarried in her 50s (2 wedding ceremonies again) and survived until her 80s. 

[lancaster.jim]

**IF** the Richard Rigby, aged 83 and of Haighton, who was buried at St John the Baptist, Broughton, in April 1803, were the same person as the Richard aged 40, of Haighton in the 1767 Return of Papists, then this would support my concern about the transcription, 40 years being recorded rather than 46.

The original Returns are in the House of Lords Archives and many years ago I obtained photocopies of the Returns for the Parish of Bury.  I noticed there were some small discrepancies between the original and the CRS transcript, e.g. Helen for Ellen.

Thank you for reminding us of the possibility of two marriage ceremonies for those not of the Church of England.

[Maiden Stone]

My Catholic families were in Lytham parish. Information on 1767 Return of Papists generally confirmed the details I had already gathered from C. of E. and Catholic mission registers, a will, leases, 1841 census and death registrations and notices. Births of adult daughters of one couple and eldest child of another predated start of the Catholic registers but the latter's birth was recorded in C. of E. register. One of his younger sisters, my 4xGGM,  was missing from R.C. baptism register but was in C. of E. one.
Father of the 2 adult daughters died November 1767; I'm pleased he lived long enough to be on the Return.

[Maiden Stone]

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

Lancashire Registers V :  Fernyhalgh, Goosnargh and Alston Lane; Catholic Record Society Record Series 31 editor J.P. Smith.

[lancaster.jim]

Maiden Stone pointed out that the Fernyhalgh Catholic registers were published as -
“Lancashire Registers V, - Fernyhalgh, Goosnargh and Alston Lane” ed. by R.L. Smith, Catholic Record Society Vol. 31 (1932).

Earlier this year, the Catholic Record Society reported that the digitisation of the Volumes Series (up to No. 80) is now complete and will be uploaded to the website soon, and available for public access. It is, however, waiting until the new website is ready for launch, later in 2019, in order to make the digital volumes available.

This will make available a large transcript collection of early Catholic registers.  Many, but not all, have been available on the internet for some time but I have had difficulty in finding them.  I think that Vol 31 is one that is not yet available on the internet.

[mlmcholm]

Thanks lancaster Jim. I will definitely keep an eye out for it.