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Archiver > WESSEX-PLUS > 2003-02 > 1044097749


From: "Paul Gaskell" <>
Subject: RE: [WSX] Mullins, Wiltshire ??
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 11:11:21 -0000
In-Reply-To: <5.1.0.14.0.20030131211840.01e40ca0@pop.freeserve.net>


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 :
Website : www.ofhs.org.uk

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