Richard Burke

I can see Richard & family in Chorlton upon Medlock in the 1841 English census. Son Richard was 7 so that points to the parents marrying around 1833. That’s before the start of statutory marriage registration in England (1837) so you won’t find a marriage certificate for them.  You might find them in parish marriage records.

I see a possible birth certificate for son John in Chorley 1839, December quarter, Volume 20, page 227. It’s the only birth in Chorley plus or minus several years, and the mother’s maiden name is Danson, so seems a strong contender.  

Very few RC parishes in Co Down have baptism records for around 1811. (Most start in the 1820s or later). I have searched the on-line records but did not find any that might match. Even if records existed, there would be no easy way of identifying your Richard with certainty without his parents names or other identifying information.

Thank you so much for your reply, Elwyn, and sorry for the extended delay in acknowledging it!  I have not used Ireland xo often, and am not adept at navigating through it.  I am familiar with the 1841 Manchester Census record, and have also found the following record, and would like to think it is them.  Given that there is a more elderly, John Burke, living in the household in 1841, and that is their second son's name, might there be any leads to a Richard Burke with a father named John in records for County Down?  Thank you again, for your help.  

Pconroy,

We have had some technical problems with our notification systems and your message has only just reached me. Sorry for the delay.

I assume from the Bishop’s transcript that it was a Church of England marriage.  So Elizabeth Danson was probably C of E. What denomination were the Burke family? Were they also C of E, or were they RC.

C of E in Ireland is Church of Ireland. Not all their parishes for Co Down have records for the early 1800s (many were lost in the 1922 fire in Dublin), and of those that do still exists many are not on-line. RC parishes are on-line but few go back to the early 1800s.  Let me know what denomination your Burkes were and I’ll point you in the direction of where to search.