You've looked everywhere for that elusive brickwall ancestor. Sudden thought: was he/she a nonconformist? Didn't want to 'conform' to the Church of England, so - you little rebel, you! Became a Protestant, a Puritan, a Dissenter - and later inclusions were Presbyterians, Congregationalists (also known as Independents), Baptists, Methodists, Plymouth Brethren, Quakers, Moravians and more. At first, Nonconformists were banned from holding military office, going to university, or holding civil office (like becoming an MP).
But I'm sure our ancestors were grateful for the 1689 Act of Toleration, which (among other things) meant they didn't have to pay a fine for not having attended Church-of-England church on Sunday!
So where can you find records of baptisms, marriages and burials when your ancestor was a Nonconformist? Try going here:
BMDRegisters.co.uk - at least, for the UK.
oh boy I think all my ancestors conformed at least in the religious way but that would be something one would have to delve through-no wonder it gets to be so consuming
ReplyDelete