Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

The correct spelling for the families is BRENNAN and HOEY but I have found all of the above during my search

I have a marriage cert showing James BRANNAN and Catherine HIGH married Jan 1857

The church is shown as Blackbrook chapel Parr it is RC is this church still there ?

My second query is their addresses he states GREENOUGHS ROW PARR
she states FINGER POST PARR I only know Finger post as a district

Can anyone give me any information on the church and the addresses

Thanks
Carolyn

Hi Carolyn,
Just passing though the St Helen's forum as I mainly haunt the Liverpool one and noticed your lonely post.

Regarding Greenough's Row... according to an address search in the 1871 census [it doesn't come up in the 1861] Greenough's Row was off or part of Park Road, Parr. There are several families there on these two pages:
RG10 - Piece:3866 - Folio:30 - Pages 51 and 52.

As for Fingerpost, I can only find it as a district adjacent to Parr. Perhaps Catherine did not have an address as such and 'everyone' knew the Hoey family. No sign of the Blackbrook Chapel either.

I assume this is the marriage you refer to..
Marriages Mar qtr 1857> Brannan, James and High, Catherine - Prescot - 8b - 661.
I understand that as RC churches were forbidden to conduct a marriage ceremony as recognised by the State at that time, it was the practice to marry in a C of E church followed by a service in an RC church. So, I am wondering if the marriage cert you have is the 'official' GRO cert or the RC document.

Cheers,
Dickiesam

Sorry I didn't answer before, mainly because I had no knowledge to impart, however, googling brought me across a similar conversation on the St Helens Connect forum to which I had to join before I could read the responses, so we have those good people to thank for the following.

From llanyb
"Assuming you're talking about the RC chapel, St MAry Immaculate, at Blackbrook, it's in the grounds of what was is/was (?) Blackbrook convent. It's on the north side of the main road just before (leaving StH) you cross the canal (now Sankey Valley Park ?).

Google Earth shows the sign on the main road entrance "

and from Swimmer
"That is Blackbrook Church on Blackbrook Road ....
The convent belonged to the Sisters of Mercy, teachers at Blackbrook School on Chain Lane. The home at the side of it was for unmarried mothers and now i believe doubles as a reform school.

chain Lane is opposite McDonald Ave, you cross over the bottom of chain Lane where you will see the wall to the naughty girls home, as it is called. You can't miss it because there is a large gymn built inside the grounds. The first path you come to leads to the home, the second path leads up to the church. The turning is before you come to the ship. Look for the paths oppostie the playground and you will easily find it."

and from Ratty
"St Helens History and Archives Library has the records for this church and I think they are being transcribed to CD at the moment. "

You should be able to see it on either googleearth or googlemaps (streetview)

Hi
Thanks for the information I must try to get to St Helens library to have a look at the records
I did not know that Catholic marriages also had to take place in the Church of England When I got married there was a priest and also a registrar as far as I know this is still the case .

Dickiesam I see you are in Co Wexford I have two lines there Purcell from New Ross and Hunt from Kilscanlon

Thanks again
Carolyn

Hi Carolyn,
This is a correction to my previous post.
From Wikipedia:
In England, under the provisions of Lord Hardwicke's Act of 1753, a marriage was only legally valid if the banns had been called or a marriage licence had been obtained, codifying earlier practice within the Church of England. By this statute, 26 Geo. II, c.33, the banns were required to be read aloud on three Sundays before the wedding ceremony, in the home parish churches of both parties. This statutory requirement had the effect of requiring Roman Catholics and other non-conformists to be married in the Church of England, a requirement lifted by legislation in 1836.

Dickiesam

PS: Lots of Purcells in my neck of the woods! Quite a common name in Wexford.