Protestant marriage

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murf
Posts: 365
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:58 am
Location: Qld Australia

Protestant marriage

Post by murf » Tue Aug 15, 2017 1:13 am

MortonMarriage.png
MortonMarriage.png (125.04 KiB) Viewed 8290 times
The above 1863 marriage from the LDS database between William Morton and Ellen Murphy has no equivalent entry in the microfilmed Clondagad/Kilchreest Parish marriage register. Also the names of the fathers of both parties are given, as is the age of the bride, information not provided by the Catholic register anyway.
So could this have been a protestant marriage? William Morton was a coachman, born in England and gives his religion as Church of England in the census.
All of William and Ellen's children appear to have been baptised in the Catholic Church.
Does anyone have info regarding protestant marriages prior to 1864?

Polycarp
Posts: 80
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:50 am

Re: Protestant marriage

Post by Polycarp » Tue Aug 15, 2017 2:24 pm

Hi Murf,

The following account is given in the "Clare Journal" of 18th September 1913.

It may not relate to the Morton family you ask after but it touches on issues you raise.

Polycarp




The Acting Master of the Ennis Workhouse [at an Ennis Board of Guardians meeting] reported that there was a man named William Morton admitted to hospital on the 4th inst., but was transferred on the 6th to the lunatic ward. There seemed to be some difference of opinion as to his religion. He was entered in the register as a Catholic, but his former employer visited him on the 9th inst., and stated to Lunatic Attendant Cotter that he was a Protestant. He was then registered as a Protestant, and was visited by the Protestant clergyman. His wife, who came to see him on Saturday, was not pleased that he had been registered as a Protestant as she stated he had been received into the Catholic Church in the month of April.

The Clerk pointed out that since the Acting Master had made the report, there was a certificate received from the Rev. S. Slattery, PP, Quin, as follows - "This is to certify that at his own request and desire I received William Morton, Hazelwood, into the Catholic Church in the month of April this year."

Mr Sheehan remarked that this gentleman had been a Protestant all his life. He had seen him the previous Sunday. He suggested that he be registered as a Catholic.

An order was made directing the Clerk to have Morton registered as a Catholic.

Lucille
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:59 pm

Re: Protestant marriage

Post by Lucille » Tue Aug 15, 2017 8:45 pm

Hi Murf

Church of Ireland (Protestant) marriages had civil registration from 1845. The William Morton marriage is entered on irishgenealogy.ie but unfortunately those records haven't been scanned yet so the image of the marriage cert is not available. Because it is a civil registration, the registration district is given as Ennis, while the LDS entry probably refers to the church ceremony, which may have been in Clondegad C of I church.

If this record is of serious interest for you send me a PM.

Lucille

murf
Posts: 365
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:58 am
Location: Qld Australia

Re: Protestant marriage

Post by murf » Wed Aug 16, 2017 1:51 am

Thanks so much Polycarp for picking up that gem. There is absolutely no doubt that this is the one and same William Morton.
Thanks also Lucille, I missed that index entry on irishgenealogy.ie. I guess the civil certificate is not going to provide anything further to what we already have.
As far as I can tell, Ellen was a member of a Murphy family residing in the townland of Inishdea, on the Fortfergus estate, so it seems likely that William was in the employ of protestant landlord Major William Hawkins Ball. Reading between the lines one can sense the struggles when they decided on their mixed marriage. There may have been pressure brought to bear from both the Catholic and Protestant camps. For them to be married in the Catholic faith would have required William to convert to Popery, and that could well have cost him his job.
At least six of their children were baptised as Catholics in Ballycorick. Later the family moved to Hazelwood in the townland of Ballyhickey, Clooney Parish(Bunratty Upper). In the 1911 census William then aged 73 gave his occupation as coachman. Two years later it would seem that with his advancing age and failing health, his wife Ellen persuaded him to convert to Catholicism.
William died on 23 May 1917 aged 78.

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