Baptism on Good Friday - customary or not?

[Naukit]

Hello, I'm not exactly a beginner, but as I don't post messages that frequently, I always have the same problem when I log in, that is - I never know how or where to send a post. I've looked at the instructions and I can't see where the moderator in red is to be found, so if anyone can advise me for another time, then I will put the reply in my favourites, so as to do it properly next time.

My question is a general one. One of my ancestors had her (illegitimate) son baptised on 12 April 1748 (in Broadwater, Sussex) which was Good Friday. I don't know what the custom was at that time in the Church of England, but I would have thought that the Minister would have waited until Easter Day to baptise the child. Was it normal practice to christen a child on Good Friday? I would have thought not... If anyone is 'in the know', I'd be very grateful to learn if it was customary or not to do so. In this case, it may well be that the child was in danger of dying (I have no further trace of him - not even a burial) and understandably it would then have been a 'private baptism'. Thanks to all for any enlightenment.

[stanmapstone]

12th April 1748 was a Tuesday Good Friday was the 8th April. From Calisto

[Naukit]

Yes, You're right! I had looked up 3 websites stating that Easter Sunday was 14 April in 1748. Just shows that you can't always trust what Google has to offer us!
Thank you for your reply.

[Gan Yam]

Yes, You're right! I had looked up 3 websites stating that Easter Sunday was 14 April in 1748. Just shows that you can't always trust what Google has to offer us!
Thank you for your reply.

 
This was Easter on the Gregorian calendar, not used in England until 1752.

[Naukit]

Thank you for that extra information.

[wrjones]

Yes for the vast majority of the population all days came alike in those days.I've seen several Marriages etc on Christmas Day and New Years Eve and Day.

Regards
William Russell Jones.

[groom]

Yes for the vast majority of the population all days came alike in those days.I've seen several Marriages etc on Christmas Day and New Years Eve and Day.

Regards
William Russell Jones.

The reason for Christmas Day especially, is that was often the only day that people didn't have to work.

[ThrelfallYorky]

I too have marriages on Christmas Day. I suspect children were often baptised a.s.a.p., because so often infants didn't survive. Looking at my lot, some born very close to Christmas day were baprised before then - I'v not traced any of those born March/April to find out how close to Easter their baptisms might be.... now there's a task for a long winter evening.....
Many other of my mob seemed to be baptised in batches ... don't know if that meant they were not worried about the tiny immortal souls, until they could get a discount for quantity, or just that they shifted from chapel to church, or changed faiths, fell out with a minister, or what?
I have always simply assumed that children usually were baptised quite early, just to be sure. I know that in an emergency, any baptised person can baptise an infant, can't they? - but usually it's benn put down as by a minister.

[stanmapstone]

until they could get a discount for quantity,

I assume you are not serious, as the Church of England has never charged fees for Baptisms, under Ecclesiastical law no fee can be charged for the administration of Sacraments. Individual incumbents may have expected a fee where there was an ancient custom "from time immemorial" to that effect. Legally "time immemorial" means before 3rd September 1189, the payment of fees could not be enforced if the custom in question did not exist, or could not have existed before this date.

Stan