Traynor - possible Catholic Baptisms - Torquay area

[Leigh1]

Searching for possible Catholic baptisms in the Torquay area. 

Children of James Traynor & Caroline Preston Swindells:
Augustus 1860
Mary Eugenie 1867
Bernard Joseph 1869
Frances Augusta 1871

The births were registered at Newton Abbot but place of birth & residence at the time was Torquay.
This family has a very interesting (?🤣) history is constantly on the move with all censuses having a variety of names, dates & places of birth so there are many inconsistencies.  James & Caroline were married in Salisbury in 1851 but in the Register Office.  However, their eldest daughter was married in a Catholic Church & I have accounts that at least one of their other children had a Catholic education.  Also James Traynor is probably originally of Irish descent, so possibly Catholic by birth (although I cannot find a birth record).  His place of birth is listed on censuses as Exeter, varying from 1831 to 1840.  Confirmation of his birth details would be great but it is completely possible that Exeter was not really the place.

I would imagine there was not a huge Catholic community in the south west at the time so it is possible that they were not baptised in Devon at all - possibly later on elsewhere or not at all.

Any pointers gratefully considered!

[rosie99]

The births were registered at Newton Abbot but place of birth & residence at the time was Torquay.

Newton Abbott registration district covers Torquay
https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/newton%20abbot.html

ADDED

What information did James marriage certificate give regarding his father and who were the witnesses

[Leigh1]

Thanks for responding so quickly Rosie!  I have the births from BMD but am looking for possible baptismal records.  Not sure which would be the most likely Catholic Church (if indeed they were baptised at all).

[rosie99]

Sorry, I added a further question to my other post re James marriage to help for the search of his birth.

[rosie99]

I assume you have located the RC baptism in Lichfield of Francis Traynor bn 1859 parents James
Traynor - born 10 Mar 1859 bapt - 07 Apr 1859

ALSO Augustinus at the same place - born 26 May 1860 - bapt 17 Jun 1860
Holy Cross, Lichfield 

[Leigh1]

Oooh - Lichfield.  That’s interesting - no I was unaware of those.  Where do i find them please?  Details on marriage cert:  27 July 1851 at the Register Office, Salisbury, Wilts.  James Traynor, age 20, licensed hawker, father John Traynor (sailmaker).  Caroline Preston Swindells, age 19, father John Preston (gentleman’s servant).  Although Caroline was ‘spinster’ I believe she was married before as a ‘minor’ so this was probably a bigamous marriage, hence no church.  Residence at time of marriage : Plume of Feathers Inn, Salisbury,  Witnesses - no relation - Thomas Prior & Augustus Afsig (?). I’ll reassess the names of all the children & their DOBs as I have found both male & female versions (eg Augusta & Augustus) so they’re either reusing the names of deceased offspring or there are errors in the census.  Thank you Rosie

[Leigh1]

Brilliant! Just found three siblings (John, Mary Jane & Francis) on 1861 census in Lichfield.  I knew about the two eldest but different place of birth, so this is great.  They are listed as ‘nurse child’.  Does this mean they were basically being fostered do you think?

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Brilliant! Just found three siblings (John, Mary Jane & Francis) on 1861 census in Lichfield.  I knew about the two eldest but different place of birth, so this is great.  They are listed as ‘nurse child’.  Does this mean they were basically being fostered do you think?

Yes - it's usually a commercial arrangement between parents (quiet often a single mother who needed to work) and the adult

There's also an August Trainer as a nurse child in Lichfield in 1861. he seems aware of his place of birth as he uses it throughout his census history (usually referred to as Augustine)

[Leigh1]

Thanks Mabel - just found him!  Parents were in an Inn in Cumberland in 1861 so would make sense that children weren’t with them.