A Plain Communion Book

[GillianF]

Going through a long dormant box of 'heirlooms' I have found a small red book marked 'A Plain Communion Book'.  Inside the hard front cover is handwritten in ink "Mary Pollington - Confirmed in Holy Trinity Upper Tooting Dec 8.1911"  Underneath in a different hand in pencil is written "27 Salisbury St. New North road, London. N.1."

My mother was a Mary Pollington but not born until February 1927 so I know this book is not hers.  I only have one other Mary Pollington in my family tree and she was born 1859 and died 1919.

Any thoughts on how old a child/person would be at Communion or 'Confirmed' to trace this Mary?

[Milliepede]

Could you look up that address in 1911 to see who was living there? 

[heywood]

I think she is Mary Smith who married George Frederick Pollington 1906.
They married at St Mary’s Haggerston and I would have thought she would have to be confirmed to marry but I don’t know anything about CoE.

Maybe she chose to enter into the church later.

They had a child baptised in May 1911 at Holy Trinity Upper Tooting when their address was Noyna Road.

In electoral registers in 1930s, they are living at 27 Salisbury Street.

[Rhododendron]

I seem to remember my first Holy Communion was at about the age of 7, and confirmation about 11 or 12 years of age.  Though I stand to be corrected :-)

[mazi]

I was about to say the normal age would be 12 to 14, assuming holy trinity is C of E, but you can get confirmed at a later age, in anticipation of marriage to a partner who was already confirmed was a possibility.

Milliepede’s idea it a much better one .

Mike


I’m too slow on this one

[GillianF]

Fantastic!  Thank you.  I now know who Mary is.  Mary and George Frederick Pollington had a son (also George Frederick - they did that a lot in the family!) in 1907 and he married my Aunt Ida.  George and Ida were first cousins as their fathers were brothers - Ida’s father being my grandfather.  There is rumour (some confirmed) in the family that there was opposition to the marriage but Ida’s two brothers were witnesses at the wedding and one brother actually prompted their romance by taking Ida along on a double date with his cousin George which put them together romantically.  I’m going to a gathering of cousins next week and direct descendants (grandchildren and great grandchildren of George and Mary) will be there so this book will be nice for them to see.

It would seem Mary was confirmed after her marriage when she was a Pollington.

George and Ida were the first of three generations in the family to marry as  cousins and maybe the party will create a fourth.  We like to keep it in the family!

I’m very grateful to you all for this help.

[heywood]

That’s a good story and glad it all works out. It’s a good job the later address is written in it.
They will be delighted to see it, I’m sure.