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St Chads Birmingham Lookups

sheronb

sheronb

master brummie
Ive been looking for the baptisms of my Italian family, and while i have found quite a few of them baptised at St michaels,Moor St, im missing a few!! (16 children, i found 8 of them!!) They lived in the Italian quarter, and im wondering if they did move around a bit, what other catholic church i could try around that area? St Vincent De Pauls maybe? Does anyone know?
 
Sheron St Peter's was quite near I think. Their records are kept at St Chad's Cathedral and last I heard you had to phone for an appointment to view them.

Chris
 
which catholic church

hello again, can anyone out there help me?I 'm looking for any info on The Rosary catholic school in saltley,I believe its some celebration this weekend. :)thankyou.
 
The Holy Rosary Church

Thanks Di Poppet,I have been to the website but it has't been updated since 2004, and I have been told there holding a celebration this Saturday,so just wanted some info on the celebration,;);)
 
My grandfather was born,feb,1912. At gough.rd.greet,[yardley]his name john edward newman, a roman catholic, he was put into care when he was 3,years,old, he never know his father, only his name,[john newman] he died in [1915] my grandfather got married in 1940,in a catholic church, i went to this church to find his baptism,cert, the church did not have any? Detail,s. Is there anyone who could help me, to find this or are there church,s where he was born, or are they send to a larger place, for storage? Or on file. I have his marriage [cert] please help. Many thank,s in advance. ,christy.
 
Here is one of 7,names his mother used, her name at that time was, clementina newman in 1912, his dad,john newman.. All the best,..christy
 
Hi Christy

Try the RC archives at St Chads in Birmingham, they hold the BMD registers from all the Catholic churches in the Diocese. They will help you narrow down which parish he would have been baptised in.

Good Luck,

Macca.
 
The Holy Family Church on the Coventry Rd may be a possibility. I don't know when it was built tho. We lived in Yardley and used to walk to that church so I think it must have been the closest.
 
cheer,s macca, is the bmd on line? to check yourself, or do u have to go to st chad,s. it was the holy family church they got married in, it,s my understanding u had to have your baptisim to get married? in a catholic church, they have no record,s of this in the holy family church, in small heath. my grandfather may have bin baptised in a church in care? why is it alway,s a riddle in this day & age to find your family root,s? maybe his mother covered her track,s to well,.thank,s guy,s all the best,..christy..
 
Hi Christy,

You have to visit St Chads to view the registers, they're not available online. You're right about needing your baptism cert to get married in a catholic church although those details wouldn't be recorded in the marriage register, its proof that you are catholic. Holy Souls in Acocks Green might be a possiblity, you can ring and ask them to check for you. Its frustrating but worthwhile when you begin to get answers.

Macca
 
nice one,macca, i have e,mailed st,chad,s [ father-sharp] in there archive department, i will wait & see? i hope he is a good as his name? all the best,...christy
 
I have recently found baptism details for an ancestor of mine (and a younger sister that i didnt know existed).
They were baptised at St Chads in Birmingham in 1855 and 1856.
I have been in contact with their archives department and have been told that i can view the records by making an appointment, which i will arrange.
My query relates to the fact that my ancestor never married (as far as i can assertain) the father of her 2 children.
She also for what ever reason changed her religion to Catholic.I am assuming that because her first daughter who was also bonr out of wedlock to a different father wasnt baptised in a Catholic church.
Does anyone know if the Catholic church had any rules or regulations as to parents being married when a child was baptised.
Jeoffry
 
Hello Joeffry, When children are baptised into the Catholic religion the parent has to sign a document to the effect that all or any other children born into that family will be brought up as Catholics, even if one parent is of another denomination. I hope this helps...Cat
 
Thank you Cat but i don't think this happened in my ancestors case. The elder daughter that was baptised at St Chads wasn't brought up as a Catholic (from what I understand from family members) and the younger sister may have died as i have been unable to find her on any census after she was baptised.
I am looking more for informationa as regards whether the parents had to prove (to the church) they were married, as in my case I am sure they weren't.
Jeoffry
 
I'm interested in this too, as I have a relative apparently baptised (also at St Chad's) a few months before the parents' marriage. This was 1893/4. I haven't yet found a baptism for their second child though!
 
Joeffry and Phoebe...This may help both of you Go into www.google.co.uk and then put in....... Catholic rules and policies...... you will be able to ask a question...Don't be put off... the church is nothing like it used to be, if you do not get the answer that you are looking for ask if they could point you in the right direction Good luck...Cat
 
Jeoffrey, I am sure if you ask the archivist when you go to St Chads you will also get an answer.

I had a little while to spare a couple of years ago and went in to look at the church. You are in for a treat, it is beautiful, so full of natural light. Take a while to look, it was designed by Pugin, he of the Palace of Wesminster fame.
 
Hello Jeoffry,
I'm no expert on these matters, but from observation over a few generations, I can't help thinking that the rules were one thing and the goodwill to help someone out was another.
In Victorian times, there was a terrible stigma against illegitimacy, and officially the Roman Catholic church was as strong an opponent as any. But out of natural kindness and consideration, individual priests used their discretion in condemning the innocent (the children, and sometimes the mums) to a state of limbo, where they could never expect to lead a normal life again.
Rules are only made to be broken, thank Heavens.
Peter
 
Thank you everyone for being so kind to respond.
I will be making an appointment at St Chads to view the records i mentioned and will ask the appropriate questions.
Will keep you informed of the outcome.
Jeoffry
 
I wonder if some kind person would be able to do the following lookup for me if they have time on their next visit to B'ham library please???
I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT ACTUALLY THE LIBRARY DOES NOT HAVE THE ST CHAD'S RECORDS, SO PERHAPS I WILL HAVE TO ASK AT ST CHAD'S TO SEE IF I CAN SEE THE RECORDS THERE. HAS ANYONE OUT THERE HAD ANY DEALINGS WITH THIS CHURCH ???????

ST CHAD 21/07/1856 a triple baptism:

GULIEMUS HOLLOCK
MARIA JOANNA HOLLOCK
ANNE ELIZABETH HOLLOCK
( I am assuming that these children are WILLIAM, MARY JANE & ANN ELIZABETH )

Parents: Thomas Hollock & Joanne/Jane Preston.

Very many thanks,
Margaret.
 
Last edited:
This is the FamilySearch entry.

Name: Lucus Obrien
Gender: Male
Baptism/Christening Date: 04 Mar 1849
Baptism/Christening Place: St. Chad, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
Birth Date: 14 Feb 1849
Birthplace:
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: David Obrien
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Mariae Cox
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C00937-3
System Origin: England-EASy
Source Film Number: 1999521
Reference Number: item 1 p 557

My problem is with the name of the father. It should be Daniel, not David.

If somebody can see the original Parish Register entry can they please check it up for me.

Thanks....
 
Looks like they were unsure...

Name: Ellena O'Brien
Gender: Female
Baptism/Christening Date: 04 May 1851
Baptism/Christening Place: St. Chad, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
Birth Date: 20 Apr 1851
Birthplace:
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: Daniel Or David O'Brien
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Mariae Cox
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C00937-3
System Origin: England-EASy
Source Film Number: 1999521
Reference Number: item 1 p 794
 
Being CofE myself, I find I am faced with trying to race a Catholic family - the father came from Ireland probably in the 1890's. Several children were born, but the GRO seems only to have one registered. They lived near to Deritend, where there was a Catholic church.

My questions are:

Would they have been baptised in the church nearest to their home - which is what I have found most CofE people are, or as Catholics were not in the majority, would baptisms have taken place in the Cathedral?

Where would the records be - with the Catholic church or in the Library?

Are there any particular things I need to bear in mind when looking for Catholic baptisms - ie, was there a particular time to be baptised?

Shortie
 
They would be Baptised in their nearest Catholic Church Shortie. As for the records the Cathedral archivist would be a good starting point.

Baptism would normally be carried out within as short a time as possible and in the case of sickness could be carried out pretty well immediately. Apart from that I cannot recall an actual time limit. We are not all that different really. My Branch of the family on my Mother's side only converted to Catholicism in the late 1800's possibly through My Gt Grandfathers 'remarriage'.
 
Thanks Bernie. I did suspect that baptism would not be a lot different, after all, we were all Catholics at one time. I just hope these children WERE baptised, I am not having a lot of luck with this family.

Shortie
 
You have made me wonder what happened to my Mom's Baptismal certificate. I know she once had one as she used to comment that she was Baptised before she was 'Officially' born due to the requirements to register a birth within a set time not having been met.
 
This seems to have happened in this case too. On the 1901 census the couple have two children, Michael and Patrick. Patrick was registered, but I cannot find Michael, nor can I find subsequent children, Eliza and William. Poor Michael died in WW1. I was hoping baptism records would shed some light on this very elusive family.
 
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