Genealogy Chat

I have just discovered 2 burials in Wincheap Canterbury one of Ann Heritage May 22 1853 age 65 wife of John Heritage buried May 27 1869 age 76 ( a gent of the Canterbury comission) Does anyone know where I might find their marriage or any other details about them . I am assuming they would be on a census somewhere in Canterbury in 1851 but Non conformists are a new area to me. Any directions appreciated thanks. Marie Kent

Marie, Nearlly put this reply on the wrong thread! The IGI doesn't have everything on it. I take it you believe your relatives were Methodists or Congregationalists? Do you live far from Kent? If not, I think a visit to one of these record offices would possibly be helpful - you could check the parish registers. If your relatives were non conformists then Record Offices would be the most likely place to find the non conformist registers. You may find this website helpful: http://www(.)kentarchives.org(.)uk/ (Remove brackets from web address). Cheers, Horatia

Hi Horatia I have no idea what they were, this is the first time I have come up against not conformists so I am aving a look in my books to see what it actually meant they were. I live about 18 miles from Canterbury so I can go to the cathedral if it has anything there for non conformists. I will have a rummage in the address you have given me. Many thanks from wet windy, with operation stack AGAIN LOL Marie Kent

Marie Non-Conformists is a blanket term which covers anyone who was not a member of the Established Church, i.e. the Church of England. Strictly speaking, it also includes Roman Catholics, Jews and Quakers. However, in practice, if your relatives are described officially as NonConformists, they will be of some Christian denomination, most probably Methodist, Baptist or Congregationist. Non Conformist registers will not be held at the Cathedral (which is of course Anglican C of E) but will probably be in the County Records Office. If you look on Genuki, you should be able to get the names of various Noncon establishments in the likely area. But be warned - by the 1850s, there were an awful lot of them! Good luck OC

Thanks Very Much OC could be a trip to Maidstone then, Ill save that for after Christmas. No virtual trip this year? I laughed so much at that last year I had just joined, thought you were all mad still do LOL Thanks for help Marie

Marie We started the virtual trip early this year in a knitted luxury cruise liner, which sank unfortunately, some time early in November, lol OC

Well I would have wished good luck to all who sailed in her but sadly too late LOL Have fun Marie

Why not look at the records office for the area, and see if the marriage is listed, in Durham, if you get the marriage you get a ref no and by looking at the non confirms list you can find out where they were married, surely other records office do the same

Thanks Roger taking all info on board, may have to wait until after Christmas preparations until I can go searching now as I only get the weekends Marie Kent

Have you tried this site, even to asking them to help you find what you are looking for www(.)canterburykfhs.()co(.)uk/non-conformist_2(.)htm take brackets off

Looking at their ages, they were probably married before 1837. In that case, unless they were Quakers, they had to marry at the C of E, there was no legal alternative. The only marriage registers which exist before 1837 are C of E, Quaker and Jewish, so no use looking for any others.