Dear Jackie, I can't help much except to share your problem but have copied
this reply below from a fellow lister in case you missed it.
My problem is that the daughter of an Irishman living in Wrexham married my
wife's GG Grandfather in her home town but in the Independent Chapel in what
is now Chapel St, Wrexham. The groom was almost certainly non-conformist
from the family traits that are known. I'm just curious to find out why the
wedding took place where it did. Regards, Bill.
I would not automatically assume that someone from Ireland was a Catholic.
Certainly, the vast majority were. I have seen figures suggesting that moe
than 90% would have been nominally Roman Catholic. But many people from
Ulster were and are protestant, with presbyterianism being strong there.
There were protestant families sprinkled thoughout the rest of Ireland,
particularly among the better-off 'anglo Irish' families. I believe that
there were also significant localised pockets of protestantism in places
such as Cork. Prior to the 1847-1849 potato famines, the Church of Ireland,
the established church, which was and is in the Anglican communion of
churches, had more devotees than now. But it was damaged by the public's
perception that it had done little or nothing to alleviate suffering during
the horrors of that period and that it had failed to speak out against
evictions and lack of famine relief. I am not an expert in this area, but
this has been my experience while doing research, and my knowledge of modern
Ireland, north and south.
I hope that this does not complicate your own research!
Best regards
-----Original Message-----
From: Jackie Reiss [mailto:tomjack@copper.net]
Sent: 24 April 2005 18:05
To: WLS-DENBIGHSHIRE-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [DEN] Re: Catholic Churches in Wrexham
Dear Listers,
This thread has been intriguing to me because I have been researching a
Jackson family that lived in Holt. We believe that they were Catholic.
Apparently, there was no Catholic Church in Holt. I have been wondering
where Catholics living in Holt might have attended Mass. Was there a
traveling priest or did the families travel to Wrexham on Sunday?
James Jackson was born abt 1806 near Farndon and married an Eliza from
Holt before 1835. They had several children in Holt and the couple was
still living there in 1881. James Jackson's son, John, born in 1843,
married an Irish woman, Catherine Connaughton, about 1861. John and
Catherine later moved through Chester and on to Salford, Lancashire.
Catherine died in 1878 and John Jackson remarried (again taking an
Irish woman as his bride). Interestingly, Patrick J. Connaughton was
the best man for that second marriage, which took place in a Catholic
Church in Salford.
In the 1881 Wales Census I found an Irish family in Wrexham Regis with
the Connaughton surname. Michael Connaughton is enumerated as head of
the family. Michael's mother was also in the family group. From the
dates and places of birth for Michael's children, he and his family
came to Wrexham somewhere between 1861 and 1866. I am figuring that
Michael and Patrick J. Connaughton were brother's of Catherine.
I'd love to hear from anyone who might have the Connaughton or Jackson
families in their line.
Jackie Reiss
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