Abbreviations in Catholic Church registers

It might be helpful if you could give us some specific examples, ideally with links to the original records on the nli site.

Thank you for replying! Here are the links:  https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634193#page/53/mode/1up (see e.g., "C.W." entries on Jan. 29, 1804) and https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634193#page/131/mode/1up (numerous "Cert." entries including at April 5 and 7, 1804). 

Sorry, but I have never seen either of those terms in any other church register. I don’t know what they mean. Perhaps someone else might know.

Are these from Marriage records? 
Possibly Cert. = Certified by a Letter of Freedom.
I have seen a L Of F for my Great Grandmother stating her age when she married my Great Grandfather from the Parish Priest where she was Baptised.
Some Parishes put the information on the same line as the Baptism to show they are married and the date.
C W  ? sorry I don't know that one.

Hi, 

The parish of Moycullen in County Galway appears to be the area which is referred to here.

Rev. F.X. Blake who was parish priest there made notes in relation to parishioners from Christmas 1793.

The following are some of of the abbreviations which he used: M - Married, D - Died, W - Widowed, R - Moved from the parish, C- Changed his address within the parish, N - New resident, P - Poor man.

CW possibly relates to a man who was widowed and changed his address with the parish in that year.

Cert is in relation to a man who is intending to marry a woman who is not native to the parish. It is known as a Letter of Freedom to Marry, already referred to by Margot.

Credit: The Irish Manuscripts Commission - No. 14 in relation to the Wardeship of Galway. Edited by Edward MacLysaght, M. A. , M.R.I.A. 1944

In regard to previous Post, I have downloaded the relevant page and I am of the opinion it relates to a Roman Catholic ceremony following childbirth. C - Churching and W - Wife of  ... There are also a number of similar entries on the opposite page.

Regards,

Thank you for the information! Do you know when a letter of freedom is issued whether the marriage occurs in the issuing parish or other parish? It seems that there is no corresponding record of marriage on the Moycullen parish register. As to the CW ceremony, what is the purpose and is the name given for the father or child and of for the father, why no mention of the child's name? Any other insight or reference to an authority would be appreciated!

I've researched a bit on the churching of women ceremony. It is a blessing of a woman after she has given birth and after a period of rest at home. The newborn does not have to be present. In the baptism registers, it appears that the name given is the father's name as I found no CW entries with a female name. I threfore wonder if CW refers to the churching of women ceremony. Why would the father's name be referenced if the ceremony is for the mother? Also, is it be more likely that CW refers to a Latin term versus an English one? 

I've researched a bit on the churching of women ceremony. It is a blessing of a woman after she has given birth and after a period of rest at home. The newborn does not have to be present. In the baptism registers, it appears that the name given is the father's name as I found no CW entries with a female name. I threfore wonder if CW refers to the churching of women ceremony. Why would the father's name be referenced if the ceremony is for the mother? Also, is it be more likely that CW refers to a Latin term versus an English one? 

You ask......................

Do you know when a letter of freedom is issued whether the marriage occurs in the issuing parish or other parish? It seems that there is no corresponding record of marriage on the Moycullen parish register. 
My in-law lived in the south of England, he married in the north of England, he was from Ireland.
He had to obtain a Letter of Freedom from the Parish Priest where he was Baptised. I don't know if he kept the LoF or if it stayed with the Priest that married the couple.
The one I saw from about 1925, had the mother of the brides maiden name, up to then I was told it was another name. Later I found the original name married a cousin by the same name of the groom.
Easy isn't it!

A woman being Churched is to repent her sins for getting pregant in the first place, to put it blunt. 
Margot

Regarding the C.W. notation in some Ireland records. Here is an example of one I found today, from Moycullen Parish, Galway Co., Ireland, parish records 1786-1823. The handwritten record is "October 23, 1790, at Drimcong, C.W. of Patt Mulley." Given that I've seen other mentions of "churching the wife of..." among baptism records, might C.W. be just an abbreviation of that term.