St. Pauls RC Baptisms

[taramcdsmall]

Hi Guys

I have spent some time today going through the RC Baptism Registers of St. Paul's looking for some members of my family tree.

I just concentrated on the late 1880's as this was the period that I was interested in.

Anyway, I was confused to discover that each and every page had a very high percentage of what appears to be illegitimate children ie only Mum mentioned, no father.

So, I just wanted to better understand the illegitimacy procedure at the time.

I thought it was rare for a mother to keep and rear an illegitimate child in this period.

I was under the, most probably ignorant, presumption that the child was whisked away at birth, and hence someone else baptising the child.

Then I was wondering, was St. Paul's a designated church for an unmarried mother's home in the area, or the like.

I've google but nothing specific is coming up ~ any pointers appreciated.

Tara

[hallmark]

What part of Dublin was it?

[taramcdsmall]

St. Paul's is on the quays of the Liffey, Northside !

Tara

[aghadowey]

Wonder if there was a place in the parish that catered to unmarried mother's giving birth- the mother's address, if listed, might be a clue.

[taramcdsmall]

That's the problem Aghadowey ~

St. Paul',certainly in the years that I've been looking at have no address' mentioned for ANY baptism.

I just wanted to be able to understand this better.

You know yourself, that a lot of the queries that we deal with here, can involve illegitimacy.

So, I was wondering, if St. Paul's WAS where a lot of these children got baptised, then it MIGHT be a better starting point for people looking for these ancestors than in their parish church which is where I would have been directing people up 'til now.

Does that makes sense at all   

Tara

[hallmark]

Ahhh.. know the church, never knew name of it!

[hallmark]

Which years are you looking at?

http://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000633656#page/2/mode/1up   reads those baptized at home or those at church......

[aghadowey]

I have spent some time today going through the RC Baptism Registers of St. Paul's looking for some members of my family tree.

I just concentrated on the late 1880's as this was the period that I was interested in.
...

Any registers, of any religion, in any area, that I've seen for this period contain a good number of baptisms for illegitimate children and these children were often raised by the mother or at least by the mother's family. This is why I'm wondering about someplace in the parish were unmarried girls went, or were sent, to give birth.

[taramcdsmall]

Hi Hallmark

I had started in 1885 ~

This is the link !

http://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000633665#page/149/mode/1up

Some pages are even deliberately covered up with a page !

Maybe I'm reading them wrong ~ any insight welcome !

Tara