I have read {in MARRIAGES (1830-1880) CLINTON COUNTY (NEW YORK) by Benoit Pontbriand} that early on they had "traveling pastors" or missionaries that would be stationed at a mission. These traveling pastors would travel to specific towns, and while there would perform what ever ceremony that needed to be done. Sometimes these were performed in a private home, and sometimes the community would have some structure that would be used as a church. If there was a paper record of the ceremony the pastor may have taken it back to their home mission. The actual records for a specific church wouldn't start until they had a resident pastor. Also, there apparently was something called a "rehabilitated marriage". These will sometimes be found in Catholic church records. It was essentially a second marriage. The couple would have been married by a squire or Protestant Minister, and sometime after that (I think with in 7 years), the couple would be "re-married", or have the marriage "rehabilitated" by a Catholic priest. The following is from MARRIAGES (1830-1880) CLINTON COUNTY (NEW YORK) by Benoit Pontbriand St Joseph's in Coopersville, established in 1790, resident pastor 1843, mission of Chambly 1818-1843. The records prior to 1843 apparently have not been found. It is unknown if they were destroyed or if they are still in Chambly but yet unlocated. St. John's in Plattsburgh,established in 1822, resident pastor 1827, earliest records are from 1830 (although they are few and far between). Immaculate Conception in Keeseville, established in 1832, mission of Plattsburgh 1822-1848 (I believe their early records are now at St. John's in Keeseville). St. Pierre in Plattsburgh, established 1853 (built to serve the needs of the French - also had a mission in Dannemora), early records are at St. John's in Plattsburgh. St. James in Cadyville, established in 1853 (built to serve needs or the Irish in that settlement), resident pastor 1870, early records are at St. John's in Plattsburgh. St. John's in Keeseville, established 1853, resident pastor 1853. Holy Name in Ausable Forks, established 1856, resident pastor 1870, mission of Keeseville 1849-1870. St. Patrick's in Rouses Point, established 1857, resident pastor 1869, mission of Corbeau 1849-1870. St. Mary in Champlain, established 1860, resident pastor 1860, mission of Corbeau 1835-1860. St. Ann in Moores Forks, established 1857, resident pastor 1870, mission of Champlain 1861-1870. St. Edmund in Ellenburg, established 1867, resident pastor 1873, mission of Chateaugay 1867-1870. St. Patrick in Chateaugay, established 1867 mission of Malone 1846-1864. St. Alexander in Morrisonville, established 1874, resident pastor 1897, mission of Plattsburgh 1876-1886, mission of Peru 1887-1897. St. Matthew in Black Brook, established 1875 resident pastor 1882, mission of Keeseville 1849-1874, of Ausable Forks 1865-1882. St. Philomene in Churubusco, established 1878, resident pastor 1878, mission of Ellenburg 1878-1879. St. Louis in Sciota, established 1879, resident pastor 1899, mission of Corbeau 1869-1899, of Moores Forks 1882-1884, of West Chazy 1885-1887. St. Bernard in Lyon Mountain, established 1881, resident pastor 1894, mission of Redford 1870. St. Joseph in West Chazy, established 1883, resident pastor 1884, mission of Corbeau. St. Augustine in Peru, established 1883, resident pastor 1886, mission of Keeseville 1849-1886. St Joseph in Dannemora, established 1883, resident pastor 1883, mission of Plattsburgh 1853-1871, of Cadyville 1872-1882. Holy Angels in Altona, established 1888, resident pastor 1905, mission of Moores Forks 1870-1905. Sacred Heart in Chazy, established 1898, resident pastor 1904, mission of Corbeau 1835-1869/1881- (unreadable), of Plattsburgh 1870-1873/1876-1880. St. Mary in Treadwells Mills, established 1906, mission of St. Pierre 1857-1901, of Notre Dame des Victories 1918-1932. Notre Dame Des Victories, established 1907, resident pastor 1907. St. Joseph in Moores, established 1910, resident pastor 1923, mission of Moores Forks 1870-1922. St. Mary's of the Lake in Cumberland Head, established 1956, resident pastor 1965 Kris Goszka in VA At 02:50 AM 11/10/1999 -0800, you wrote: >> Hi List, >> >> This may be a really stupid question, but where did >> Catholics, >> particularly French-Canadian Catholics living in >> Clinton County, get >> married and buried and have their children baptized >> pre-1850's? It >> seems that all of the church records start around >> 1850. Were there >> mission churches in Canada who sent a priest down to >> do these? If so, > > > > > > >===== > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com