My ancestors lived in the Forest of Dean and its surrounding area and they were Catholics who never converted to Protestantism in the Reformation. I wondered if anyone has any records relating to the Catholic community living in the area from the Reformation up until the end of the 18th Century. I know that there was a substantial community and that they suffered religious persecution and just wondered whether any one else has ancestors who were part of this community. Some also lived in Ross on Wye and some over in Wales in Monmouth and surrounding areas.
Helen in Sheffield.

The most likely connection would be with Courtfield Catholic Chapel, Welsh
Bicknor. Courtfield was owned by the Vaughan family up to about 1950. We have
Baptism records from the Chapel on this Web site covering the period 1804-1879.

You will find plenty of information on the subject if you do a search with
google by entering "Vaughan of Ruardean and Courtfield" or similar.

The following web page of Walter King will give you some background.
http://homepages.phonecoop.coop/waltking/FH/vaughan_of_courtfield.htm

Thank you for your prompt response, I will check this out.

Try this

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~monfamilies/monmouthshireCMR.html

Andrew

Thank you for this as it not only confirms what I know from oral history but also that other members of the family (who were later Methodists) may well also have been RC at this time.