Findmypast publish new Catholic records from The National Archives & Archdiocese of Southwark
- Findmypast brings wide array of new English and Welsh Catholic records online for the first time
- Includes “England & Wales, Roman Catholics, 1717”, a fascinating array of documents from The National Archives series FEC 1, pertaining to the seizure Catholic estates during the Jacobite rebellion of 1715
- Also includes sacramental registers from the Archdiocese of Southwark, marking the latest diocese to join Findmypast’s exclusive Catholic Heritage Archive
Leading family history website, Findmypast, has today announced the online publication of new English & Welsh Catholic records containing just under 500,000 names.
Published online for the first time, today’s release consists of four separate collections including Sacramental registers from the Archdioceses of Southwark and “England & Wales, Roman Catholics, 1717”, a collection of deeds and other documents held at The National Archives in Kew relating to Catholic estates that were seized as a result of the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
Published online for the first time in collaboration with The National Archives, England & Wales, Roman Catholics, 1717, was created by digitising 211 pieces from their FEC 1 series covering the “Forfeited Estates Commission, abstracts of estates of Popish recusants”.
The Commission, appointed in 1715 by an Act of Parliament, had the power to seize all “real estates and interests vested in the crown” belonging to “persons so convicted or attainted of high treason”.
This expansive archive covers a range of assorted documents such as abstracts of estates that incorporate alphabetical lists of convicted recusants registered in various counties and towns across England and Wales. Also Included is a large collection of deeds and other documents produced before the Commissioners relating to seized estates.
Some documents date back at least to the sixteenth century and are typically arranged under the names of the attainted persons. They include original claims of various persons upon estates forfeited to the Crown; proceedings of the commissioners including correspondence, minutes and memoranda, accounts, lists and schedules, and inventories of documents; county returns by clerks of the peace listing the names and estates of papist recusants in England and Wales; rentals and particulars of estates sold; and information respecting “lands given to superstitious uses”.
Findmypast has also released transcripts and images of original baptism, marriage, burial and congregational records in partnership with the Archdioceses of Southwark. Covering more than 70 Catholic Parishes across Kent and Surrey and spanning the years 1781 to 1910, the records shed new light on the region’s Catholic communities and provide researchers all over the world with the new opportunity to discover Catholic ancestors.
These sacramental registers form the latest in a series of substantial updates to Findmypast’s exclusive Catholic Heritage Archive, a ground-breaking initiative that aims to digitize the historical records of the Catholic Church in North America, Britain and Ireland for the very first time.
The Catholic Church holds some of the oldest and best-preserved genealogical records in existence. However, as many of these documents memorialize important religious sacraments, their privacy has long been protected and access to original copies has, until now, been hard to come by.
Today’s release marks just the latest update to a vast resource that has continued to grow since launch and will continue to do so throughout 2020 as additional updates from a variety of British, Irish, US and Canadian Dioceses will be added to the Heritage Archive throughout the year.
Other records available to search this Findmypast Friday
Findmypast has also released a variety of new Canadian records in celebration of Canada Day next week. This includes:
Canada, Saskatchewan Vital Records Birth Index
Over 64,000 birth records from the province of Saskatchewan have been added to our Canadian record collection. The records can reveal useful family tree information about your Canadian ancestors including:
- Their name
- Their birth year and birth date
- Where they were born
- Their parents’ names
Canada, Saskatchewan Vital Records Death Index
This week’s Canadian records update is completed with over 55,000 death records from Saskatchewan. These records can reveal your ancestors’:
- Names
- Birth and death dates
- Places of death
- Parents’ names
Newspapers
This week’s update includes two brand new titles, along with updates to two existing publications. Brand new to our newspaper collection are:
- Beeston Gazette and Echo covering the years 1913-1938 and 1940
- Maidenhead Advertiser covering the years 1870, 1872 and 1874-1912
While more pages have been added to:
- Dundee Courier covering the years 1986, 1988 and 1990-1991
- Derby Daily Telegraph from 1987
With tanks to Findmypast