LinkBack URL
About LinkBacksGood Morning,
Was just wondering if any of your fabulous minds had any idea what the note to the left of the baptism record below said.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Erika
side Note on Baptism Register
Tweet
Good Morning,
Was just wondering if any of your fabulous minds had any idea what the note to the left of the baptism record below said.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Erika
Hi Erika,
As the comment appears to read 'Private', possibly with a long bracket after the word, it could refer to a private baptism, carried out at the child's home. This was often done when there was a possibility a newly born child might not survive.
There is a possibility the baptism may not have been carried out by a clergyman, as this is one of the sacraments a lay person can administer. This might happen if, as above, the child's survival chances seemed to be poor, or even if the family could not afford the cost of a church baptism. Names of children baptised in this manner would then be passed on to the church in the hope they would be entered in the registers.
Private baptisms were also conducted at the homes of the wealthy or aspiring, as a form of social kudos, but this type of baptism was often not approved of by clergymen.
Given the occupation of the father in this instance, it would appear that one of the former reasons applied in this case.
Last edited by Finbar; 19-05-2010 at 10:58 AM.
Finbar,
Thank you. I could not make the word out at all. I think even if I had I would have been posting to see what 'Private' could mean.
I do not think this line of my ancestors had a great deal of wealth, so must assume that my great x2 grandmother was poorly at her birth or possibly the family were poor to the extent of not being able to afford the Christening in the church.
Cheers for the information, I find little pieces such as the above, help to build a clearer picture of peoples circumstances and life.
Erika
Hi Erika,
All my cousins were baptised privately and none were poorly at birth. My grandparents did have money but this was not the reason. They lived in a 12 bedroomed house with 3 of my dad's siblings, their husbands and children. The downstairs had a large room which I only remember going in once in my life when the funeral service of my grandmother took place.
The room was out of bounds to us all but this is where my aunt gave bible study lessons to regular church members and to those wishing to be confirmed or have their child baptised. The baptisms of my cousins were performed by the church minister. My aunt also kept a diary where she kept appointment times for the minister to use the room. I am not sure but maybe he spoke to couples about to get married in that room too.
NOTE:- Vicar on the right hand side of your certificate
Last edited by Starlight; 19-05-2010 at 01:37 PM.
That sounds really interesting Starlight, I guess there could be any number of reasons as to why they had a private ceremony.
I wonder if maybe the reason could be, having not previously noticed the Vicar on the right, that they were of a different Denomination to the church and possibly had a private ceremony in their denomination and had it entered into the records of the closest chruch to them?
Hi Erika,
That is a possibility as often on parish records you will come across one with privately written in the column and the name of the vicar will differ from the others of that parish.
Great, that makes perfect sense then. I will look into the denomination of the church and see if it is probable.
If you don't mind, I would like to ask another question (sorry), is it plausable to think that someone may have said they were married on a census (1871), as they were living together and had a child, prior to their marriage?
Perfectly feasible, Erika.
Had experience of it with my own lot in the 19th c.
Thanks Finbar!!
I was starting to think I was going crazy and just doing everything wrong.
I have a marriage for the pair, but it is 6 years after the census I have found which is the right people as far as I can make out. Occupation, age and eldest child all match as well as where they were born. There is no other marriage in FreeBMD or on Ancestry's Marriages and Banns, that could possibly be them.
Thanks again.
Erika
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote