Looking for my great grandfather - Any Ideas? (General)

by rookancestrybest , United Kingdom, Saturday, May 01, 2010, 22:12 (5098 days ago) @ saralarasdog

My ancestors were also RC and from the Forest of Dean and my branch too moved to Yorkshire (South Yorkshire in our case though there is a mystery photograph of someone very much like my great, great grandfather taken in West Yorkshire and I do not know whether it is him or some other relative). There are good baptismal, confirmation and wedding records of RCs in the Forest of Dean. You might find two wedding days (usually consecutive) for your ancestors, this will be because they married in the RC church but to make it legal would marry in the C of E as well, the two ceremonies tended to be on two consecutive days. e.g. 1st and 2nd May! The RC population in the Forest of Dean and Monmouth was one of the highest in the country (Lancashire having the highest number). My family appears to have lived in the Forest of Dean for several generations and before they were permitted to have a church of their own RCs in the Forest of Dean used to go to each other's house, sometimes at great peril. My family used to have to make a journey through the Forest of Dean on a Sunday and used to mark the earth with a cross so that others going to the same place knew it was safe to proceed. If you are interested in more of these tales I would be pleased to post some more.