Thanks for your reply Dave. Yes, I did know about the marriage regulations (I've been researching family history for 20 years...) but haven't had anything to do with Catholicism. We have the marriage certificate, but my question was really relating to the whereabouts of the church records.(I have just seen an email from Jane with information about these :-) Your explanation of the 'marriage by certificate' was useful, too. The etymology of the name is difficult - it doesn't appear anywhere before our John in Liverpool. Yes, Berlin was one of the names we had considered, but it is very difficult to link Burilin with any of the possible variants without some idea of where in Ireland they came from. Your suggestion that they may not have lived in the parish long enough to satisfy Canon Law is a good thought - particularly John who does not appear on the 1871 Census. From the reply I've just seen from Jane, we might get John's parent's address from the church record. Fingers are crossed!! Thanks again for your response. Dorothy G'day Dorothy, The start of Civil Registration in 1837, also brought in the concept of Civil Marriages conducted by the Superintendent-Registrar of the Register Office. These marriages are "by Certificate". In England, a Marriage Licence is a Church Licence issued to avoid the procedure of having the Banns called in Church. The use of a Certificate in a Church ceremony, suggests to me two things. First, the couple had not lived in the parish long enough to conform to Canon Law for the purposes of marriage. And secondly, that it may have been a mixed marriage, ie a Catholic to a Protestant, which would in conformance with Canon Law. One variation of the name Burilin which you didn't canvass was "Berlin". There were a group of German Protestants in Ireland who are referred to as Palatines in that they were religious refugees from the Palatine in Germany. Have you checked the etymology of the name? Hope this helps David Armstrong Maylands, Western Australia ----- Original Message ----- From: D E Gaunt To: ENG-LIVERPOOL@rootsweb.com Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 5:13 AM Subject: [ENG-LIV] BURILIN - many questions! HI List I'm new to this particular List and have searched the Archives for any help with this problem. No luck, so am asking if there is anyone with any suggestions. I am helping a friend research her husband's ancestor who emigrated from Ireland to Liverpool sometime before 1878. His name was John BURILIN and this is the name the family has used ever since, but it seems to have been a new version of another name. (Burlin? Burland? Barlan? Bryland? Etc etc) 23 year old John Berilin married Mary Ann DWYER at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy (marriage cert), in 1878. His father is John Berilin too. 'Our' John became Burilin in the 1881 Census and he gave his place of birth as Ireland. My problems: . I cannot find anything about this Church. I did find a mid-1850s picture of a convent of Our Lady of Mercy and wondered if it was likely that they were married in the Chapel of the convent? . Where could I find the records of such a marriage? I have looked in the Liverpool Record Office index and there's nothing there. Would it be appropriate to write to the diocese office ? (if there is such a thing - I have not done any Catholic (or Irish) research so am not sure of the procedure.) . The Marriage Certificate says 'Married by Certificate" I'm used to English and Scottish certs which say "By licence' or 'After banns' so I don't know what significance this has. . John is not on the 1871 Census and nor are there any others with the name, which suggests he went to Liverpool on his own. But how on earth do I find whereabouts in Ireland? . Mary Ann Dwyer's father came from Co Kilkenny. Did Irish people stick together with others from their home area? So many questions, but if someone could help with even one I'd be grateful! I just don't know where to go from here. Many thanks Dorothy New Zealand ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Admin Message - List guidelines: http://freespace.virgin.net/genealogical.collections/AdminMessage.htm The list admin can be contacted at Eng-Liverpool-admin@rootsweb.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-LIVERPOOL-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message