What was a Chrisom?

[Westy11]

Have been researching in Desford, Leicestershire in the mid 1700s and have come across the word "Chrisom"

In the attached example it is for the burial of Elizabeth LAWRENCE in 1755.

Westy

[mckha489]

a white robe put on a child at baptism, and used as its shroud if it died within the month.

[Westy11]

Thank you. 

Westy

[stanmapstone]

Linen chrisom-cloths were worn for a month following baptism in order to protect the baptismal chrism (which remained on the infant's head) and as a token of innocence and the cleansing of sin. Images of chrisom-children, swathed in their chrisom cloths, are commonly found in monuments.The chrisom cloth, or robe, was used as a burial shroud if the infant died soon after baptism, hence the reference in the Burial Register.
The burial of "Chrisom Children" are of fairly frequent occurrence throughout England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and more rarely during the earlier part of the eighteenth century.


Stan

[Westy11]

Thanks so much Stan.

Westy

[stanmapstone]

JUst to add  that in the mediæval Church of England, the priest anointed the child with the chrism or, holy oil in the form of a cross, on the breast and between the shoulders, and the idea of the chrisom cloth was to protect the chrism marks and to preserve them from hasty removal.

Stan

[Maiden Stone]

If the baby survived longer than a month its' mother took the chrism cloth to her churching ceremony (usually around 6 weeks after birth) as part of the thanksgiving ritual. N.B. Churching was intended as a blessing and thanksgiving ceremony, not a cleansing ritual.

Chrism oil used for baptisms in Catholic Church is blessed at Easter.

[Maiden Stone]

JUst to add  that in the mediæval Church of England, the priest anointed the child with the chrism or, holy oil in the form of a cross .....
Stan

The church in England at the time was Catholic. 

[barryd]

Christomonism is the heresy of identifying Christ as the singular representation of God. It is a heresy because it denies the Trinity, which has been the traditional foundation of orthodoxy.

Nearly the same but the answers above are correct and this one is another unusual word nothing to do with the correct answer.