OK, I'm answering my own question here-- I think I just found the death of John's wife, and his marriage, at Family History online: From Family History Online: 2. Parish Ryton, Holy Cross, DUR Buried 3/05/1766 Name Mary STRONG aged – Abode Winlaton Occupation – Relationship da to relatives John Other info – Notes – Checked N Amount paid £0.07 1. Parish Ryton, Holy Cross alternatively Ryton in county Dur Married on 11/05/1761 Groom John Strong residence – other – Bride Mary Richardson residence – other – Orig – Checked N Amount paid £0.07 But then, I think I'm probably stuck at being able to find out John and Mary's baptisms? If they were born Catholic that is? Paula On Jun 23, 2007, at 12:36 PM, Paula Goodfellow wrote: > I just joined the list. after a couple of years of ignoring my Durham > ancestors. Today, someone mentioned the Papist returns of 1767, on > the Lancashire list, and after I asked a couple of questions, that > person was kind enough to look for my ancestors in the returns for > Durham. I was looking for a Jacob Watson born about 1769 and Mary > Strong born about 1764, who were married in 1797, and it's recorded > at St. Thomas Aquinas, Stella, and in Ryton. I think that we've found > Mary today, but not Jacob's family. Here's what I am pretty sure must > be Mary in 1767: > Ryton - Winlaton Town > John STRONG; 29; bankman;29y > Frances, dau.;6; - ; 6y > Mary, do.; 3; - ; 3y > > Now my question-- I saw an earlier message on the list archives, > saying that there were no parish registers from that time. My > question is-- would the babies have just been baptized secretly > somewhere? Wouldn't that have concerned the local vicar? And would > John Strong here have to have also been married in an Anglican > church? Ryton doesn't go back far enough in the IGI for me to check > today. I'll have to get the microfilm. And, apparently he was a > widower. Would his wife have been buried in the local Anglican church > yard? Thanks, Paula > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-DURHAM- > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message