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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Cambridgeshire => Topic started by: wayne69 on Friday 07 September 12 19:15 BST (UK)

Title: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: wayne69 on Friday 07 September 12 19:15 BST (UK)
Hello,
       A relative of mine was baptised in Wisbech in 1837. She was an adult, this was normal for baptists. Does anyone know where adult Baptists were baptized in the Wisbech area around this time? All help will be much appreciated.
                    Thanks
                       Wayne
                   
 
Title: Re: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: GrahamSimons on Friday 07 September 12 19:27 BST (UK)
You never know, an email or a letter to the current Church might bring you answers: http://www.wisbechbaptistchurch.org.uk/

Genuki offers a gateway to this sort of information - see here for Wisbech and follow among other things the links to "nearby places" http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CAM/Wisbech/

And as ever the local studies people will be able to help, see http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/leisure/archives/researchers/Cambridgeshirefamilyhistorysources.htm
Title: Re: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: bedfordshire boy on Friday 07 September 12 21:08 BST (UK)
What's the source for the adult baptism in 1837? Doesn't it say where she was baptised? What was her name?
Title: Re: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: Redroger on Sunday 09 September 12 19:00 BST (UK)
 You will be aware that the Baptist Church only baptises adults by Total Immersion. Since not all Baptist churches incorporate "Baptistries", a large bath like area usually covered except when a Baptismal service is taking place, and situated at the front of the church, in coastal areas the sea is sometimes used as a Baptistry. I wonder if Baptisms at Wisbech were in fact done in the local river, or possibly carried out at a church in the general vicinity.
Title: Re: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: NettieS on Tuesday 11 September 12 04:09 BST (UK)


If I remember correctly I think there was possibly three places in Wisbech where your relative could have been baptised.
Wisbech Baptist Ship Lane
Wisbech General Baptists
Wisbech Baptist Chapel Ely Place

Regards Lyne
Title: Re: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: Redroger on Wednesday 12 September 12 09:29 BST (UK)


If I remember correctly I think there was possibly three places in Wisbech where your relative could have been baptised.
Wisbech Baptist Ship Lane
Wisbech General Baptists
Wisbech Baptist Chapel Ely Place

Regards Lyne

But did they all have Baptistries?
Title: Re: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: robbo43 on Saturday 02 February 13 00:06 GMT (UK)
From memory, there were quite a lot of mass baptisms in rivers in 19th century Cambridgeshire.
Title: Re: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: Redroger on Sunday 03 February 13 14:55 GMT (UK)
Which seems to support my point, thanks Robbo.
Title: Re: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: anneb on Thursday 07 February 13 17:20 GMT (UK)
I've just been going through the records of Haddenham Baptist Church and they were certainly baptising in the river at this time-the records even say which bit of the river in some cases.
Title: Re: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: Redroger on Thursday 07 February 13 18:21 GMT (UK)
Probably internal and heated Baptistries are more recent innovations to cater for present day softies. Although, there are recent (last 30 years) instances at Scarborough of Baptisms in the sea, and the church there has a Baptistry.
Title: Re: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: anneb on Thursday 07 February 13 21:01 GMT (UK)
The present baptist church in Haddenham  opened in 1905 does have a baptistry under the floor at the front. I'm pretty sure that the original chapel built in about 1817 didn't have one.

Some non-conformist records for Cambridgeshire are avaliable on CD but not sure if they include baptisms.
Title: Re: Baptising a Baptist
Post by: Redroger on Friday 08 February 13 17:06 GMT (UK)
The date fits well enough with two other Baptist churches I have attended with my wife with have Baptistries, i.e Chequer Road Doncaster built 1910, Ebenezer Baptist Scarborough, I think also 1910.
Strangely High St. Boston founded around 1650, current building 1838 on the same site has a Baptistry, but since it is on the bank of the then heavily polluted river Witham that may account for it.