Can I add my "brick wall" - the couple are John Straney and wife France (nee Lanaughan). The first mention if have of them is at the christening of our ancestor Bernard Straney at St Marys ,1798, Carlisle. There are later children being baptised at St Marys Catholic church - and then being buried in St Marys C of E in Carlisle. I cannot find John and Frances prior to 1798 - anybody seen anything of them? Lynne

I can't help with your Straneys......but am wondering if you all could tell me how difficult it is to get Catholic records in England. I am curious as to how it compares to other countries. Civil registration started in 1880 in Jamaica, so it is no problem after that date. But in my West Indian and Spanish research, the Catholic records were 'off limits' to the Mormon church to film. However, I see that is now changed in Spain, which really surprises me. I was told by a researcher in Madrid that you had to go from church to church (this was about 3 years ago). As for Jamaica, well.......there is a super Jesuit priest (Fr. Gerry), 77 years of age, who sends out copies of any certificates we request of him. My friend has the indexes on her website, which he sends out for her to transcribe......and we then can order them. As the Figueroas were obviously Catholic in the early days........that was my 'brick wall' in Jamaica. Thanks to Fr. Gerry, I am now back to 1790. And have all the lovely baptismal and marriage certificates (actually, photocopies from the parish registers, which were literally crumbling to bits). So it depends apparently on the Diocese. And over here the United Church of Canada won't let their records be filmed either, according to my friends at the FHC. Any problems in England with this sort of thing??? Different countries........different 'rules'. I have always been able to find the CUL parish records or BT's........but just wondered about say, Catholic, Quaker and so on. In Jamaica, most of the earlier records are C of E......with all the rest lumped into a few 'Dissenter' films. They cover all sorts of religious persuasions........as in Presbyterian, Methodist, Moravian, Baptist, and so on. Just curious.........Heather > Can I add my "brick wall" - the couple are John Straney and wife France (nee Lanaughan). > > The first mention if have of them is at the christening of our ancestor Bernard Straney at St Marys ,1798, Carlisle. There are later children being baptised at St Marys Catholic church - and then being buried in St Marys C of E in Carlisle. > > I cannot find John and Frances prior to 1798 - anybody seen anything of them? > Lynne >