Roman Catholic

For long periods of time it was unlawful in the UK to follow the Roman Catholic Religion.

Catholics followed their religion  secretly as the punishment if discovered was death or imprisonment.

Even was Catholicism was no longer unlawful  there was deep distrust by the Catholic community.

Family historian often find following ancestors who were Catholic to be comparatively difficult.

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As with all churches there are two main areas to follow.

Firstly contact the Priest at the relevant Roman Catholic Church or the Diocese Office for that Church.

There are sometimes local sources of information held especially if the ancestor was a priest or prominent church member.

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If this is not successful the National Centre for Roman catholic Family research is the Catholic National Library based at Farnborough.

Visitors can research the records which includes CD's with Baptism, marriage and Death Records.

If a personal visit is out of the question staff can research items although this will involve a charge.

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Advice on Family History Research for Roman Catholics is available at the Catholic Family History Society

website.