Does anyone know if/where the above are available? Nothing in the PRs on this site or anywhere else that I can find.

--
Peter

It could be that the situation at Cinderford Baptist Chapel was the same as was the case on Ruardean Hill when my parents were married there.
The Ruardean Hill Baptist Chapel was not registered for marriages at the time and marriages there were done in the presence of the local registrar as well as the local minister.
My parents marriage is recorded in the Gloucestershire BMD database as taking place at the "Registry Office" which is not strictly accurate but expalins why it does not appear in the Parish Records.
The marriage certificate is headed:
Marriage Solemnised at the Baptist Chapel Ruardean Hill East Dean
and subsequently reads:
"Married in the Baptist Chapel according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Baptists by Licence by me, E Webb Deputy Registar" (Also signed by T M Timpany. Minister)
and
"I, E Webb Deputy Registrar for the District of Drybrook in the County of Gloucester do hereby certify that this is a true copy of the Entry no 43 in the Register Book of Marriages for the said District and that such Register Book is now leaglly in my custody"

Hope this helps,

-Colin

Hi Colin,

Thanks for the information. It could be that but the Glos BMD does list it as taking place at the chapel.

I was looking for the marriage details as I was looking for the grooms parents but I've now found that another way so less of an issue. Would be good to know for future reference though.

--
Peter

Hi Peter,
as you say this site's PRs for Cinderford Baptist Church only relate to burials, not baptisms or marriages. The PRs search page gives 365 burial records for CBC.

It took me a while but I've found this prior thread from 2007 which helps explain, and echoes Colin's suggestion;

The only records which exist for Cinderford Baptist church are burials 1881-1975. These were filmed last week and so should soon be put out for transcription. It is also worth noting that many non-conformist baptisms, marriages & burials were conducted at either Cinderford St. Johns or Cinderford St. Stephens.

Graham Davison
Project Coordinator

https://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=6319

I did some digging for information and came across this page http://richardnet.co.uk/genealogy/bapchap.htm (which is very difficult to read due to the way it's formatted but gives a very detailed history of the Chapel).

On the above page it says the chapel was licensed for the "solemnisation of marriages" in 1847 with the first couple to be married being a C Jones and an S Jones. Looking through the Glos BMD I found a Charles Jones marrying a Sarah Jones with the record showing it as taking place at the register office. So supporting what Colin suggested.

However, the page also says "In the month of February, 1906, it was decided to adopt the "Marriage Act of 1898." It was felt that while this Act did not give to Nonconformists all that was needed, it did give to them the opportunity to keep their own "Marriage Register," and appointing their own "authorised person" to attend all weddings, in place of the district Registrar."

Searching Glos BMDs for marriages after 1906 shows all subsequent marriages are shown as taking place at the Baptist Chapel. So, the way I read this is that a register was kept from 1906 onwards and that register should exist somewhere.

--
Peter

How interesting!

Just yesterday evening I came across a marriage record on the Gloucestershire BMD website which lists the place as "Baptist Chapel, Cinderford" - this dates from 1932. I was hoping to find the record and obtain the bride's father's first name. The surname is very common and she was frustratingly born just a couple of months after the 1911 Census. If the Cinderford Baptist Chapel register is available somewhere I'd be very interested.

My fall-back is obviously paying for the certificate; I'm naturally trying to exhaust all free options first, or those where I already have a subscription. (The index entry for the birth on the GRO website provides the mother's maiden name but there are no obvious marriages - again, the common surnames don't help.)

Yes Peter that's a great document wrt the history of the Baptist Chapel, I think iot's already within this site's Resources somewhere.

Re the register/records used to support the GlosBMD database, I can only suggest contacting the various parties reponsiable for that website, namely;

"Gloucestershire Registration Service and Gloucestershire Archives
in conjunction with Gloucestershire Family History Society"

See links on this page http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bmd/MainMenu.aspx

Hopefully they can clarify where there information came from.

Suggest Glos Archives as first port of call ?
https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/archives/plan-your-visit/where-we-are-contact-us/

Hi Jeff,

Just to clarify. What's missing is the actual register that would show all the information including fathers and witnesses etc. I assume what can be found on Glos BMD and other sites is derived from the indexes so I don't imagine those sources would be able to help.

It might be worth asking Gloucester Archives though.

--
Peter

Yes Peter that's a great document wrt the history of the Baptist Chapel, I think iot's already within this site's Resources somewhere.

Yes, Jeff, you're correct. It's at https://forest-of-dean.net/downloads/Stories_Articles/Baptist_Church_Cinderford.pdf and it's a lot easier to read than the one I found.

--
Peter

Fair point Peter.
However I'd still query your earlier assertion "the register should exist somewhere", sadly it might not anymore.
atb J

I'm been assuming the chapel is no longer operating but is that true? Anyone know? Because if it is still a working chapel, then I guess that's where the register will be.

--
Peter

Hi Peter,
sorry for slow reply, altho it's probably best that way !
My gut reaction to your query was to say the Chapel was converted into flats a few years ago. However subsequent online searches has shown this was probably a moment of madness on my part, as I cannot now find any reason to believe this was true !
One reason against is the Chapel is a Grade II protected building, and the second is I've seen several photos taken just a few years ago which show it's hosting events and is still in pristine decorative order both inside and out.
Hopefully this means they are still holding Church services but I don't know. (I do know the Wesley Methodist Church nearby is closing next year 2020 due to dwindling attendances and rising upkeep costs.)

If you wish to enquire about the Register etc, the Baptist Chapel contact details appear to be;

Address: 9 Commercial St, Cinderford GL14 2RP
Phone: 01594 822618

A bit of local knowledge - the chapel which closed and was converted to flats was the Primitive Methodist Chapel in Church Road (situated between the Baptist Church, as I believe the members prefer to call it, and St. John's Church). See this link for an image of the building as it was

https://www.myprimitivemethodists.org.uk/content/chapels/gloucestershire/cinder_ford_ch...

Edit: The link will not connect so just google Cinderford Primitive Methodist Church and the relevant page should come up on the search result headed "myprimitivemethodists..." I think it is the first one shown.

Thanks very much Harry, it's nice to know there was a small grain of truth behind my thinking about the Baptist Chapel. I'd planned to phone my sister to ask about it's current usage, as she lives at that end of Cinderford, but I doubt she'd have known as much as you so thanks again for saving her time trying to find out.

Thanks too for confirming that it's now known as a Church not a Chapel, I did wonder about that last night.

Re the Primitive chapel, the link worked fine for me, thanks. To me there is a visual similarity between the two buildings which is presumably where my confusion arose.

atb J

I have contacted a member of the GlosBMD transcribing team and learn that the entries for Cinderford Baptist Church were taken from the Register deposited with the Registrar. A search of the Archives Online Catalogue suggests a Register is not lodged with them and I therefore conclude the Church Register remains in use at the Church. Unfortunately it seems you will have to apply for the certificate if you want to see the full details.

Admin

Thanks for finding that out.

--
Peter

Many thanks from me too.

My wife's family has a photograph of the marriage of Dennis Damsell and Jean Read which took place at the Baptist Chapel sometime in 1960.