Hi Helen > Although marriages in the Catholic Church were illegal until 1837, there were a number of illegal marriages which have been recorded. From my experience of using pre-1837 Roman Catholic records in South Lancashire, I can confirm that such marriages were quite common. However, they will often be found in two registers - in the RC register and in the local C of E register as well. This suggests that the couple held two ceremonies. Their marriage in the eyes of the law would be that carried out in the established church, whilst that in the eyes of the faith would be the ceremony carried out in the Catholic Church. Paul Gaskell Publicity Officer and Minutes Secretary Oxfordshire Family History Society E-mail : [email protected] Website : www.ofhs.org.uk

For what it is worth in confirmation, I have clear records of the same two great-grandparents being married twice; the two events being with 2-3 days of each other; in Bath in May of 1814; once in the established church of St. Swithins and again in the RC St. Johns the Evangelist. Regards Carlisle Knowlton connecticut, usa ======================================================================= Paul Gaskell wrote: > Hi Helen > > > Although marriages in the Catholic Church were illegal until 1837, there > were a number of illegal marriages which have been recorded. > > >From my experience of using pre-1837 Roman Catholic records in South > Lancashire, I can confirm that such marriages were quite common. However, > they will often be found in two registers - in the RC register and in the > local C of E register as well. This suggests that the couple held two > ceremonies. Their marriage in the eyes of the law would be that carried out > in the established church, whilst that in the eyes of the faith would be the > ceremony carried out in the Catholic Church. > > Paul Gaskell > Publicity Officer and Minutes Secretary > Oxfordshire Family History Society > E-mail : [email protected] > Website : www.ofhs.org.uk