RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: MacGrigor on Saturday 20 February 21 20:03 GMT (UK)
-
Hello,
I remember a member of RootsChat telling me a few years ago that in Scotland, marriages were not necessarily in the parish church, but could be done in a house, for example. I was wondering, would this apply to baptisms in Scotland too? I’d have thought with the font etc they’d have to be done in a church.
For England, I presume all marriages have to be done in a church, to sign the marriage register. I assume it’s the same for baptisms. Would it be for private baptisms too? If a child is particularly sickly, would they have to take them all the way to church?
Adam
-
Hi Adam,
Can't speak for England but in Scotland Baptisms could be carried out in a house.
I was Baptised in my gran's front room on 6th December 1946. The weather was not good and I had a cold so the Church of Scotland minister came to the house. I was a 8 weeks old and we had travelled from Edinburgh to Dundee for the occasion.
Dorrie
-
My grandparents were Primitive Methodists living in County Durham.
In the late 1900’s and 1920’s all their children were baptised at home, which was apparently fairly common.
They had their own little font, which is now in my possession.
-
I was baptised in my grandparents' home with a sugar bowl as a font. It was always brought out for that purpose.
In general, if a child was baptised on a Sunday, there is a fair probability the baptism was in the kirk. On any other day of the week, it is more likely that it happened at home.
-
For England, I presume all marriages have to be done in a church, to sign the marriage register.
Adam
You could/can get married in Register Office since 1837 and now you can also get married in a place that is licenced for weddings (eg a hotel), this is fairly recent, but not sure exact date.
-
Anyone could baptise a sickly child at home, it was often done by the midwife. If the child survived they would later be received into the church, which is the second part of the baptism.
-
The Church of England accepts as legitimate any baptism performed by any Christian, at any time and in any place.
Regards
Chas
-
Myself and a neighbours daughter were baptised at an open air prayer meeting by a preacher on horseback 1937/8 at Woodroyd nr Huddersfield
-
My gtgrandmother was brought over from Ireland when six weeks old. Unfortunately that is all I know.
She married in an Anglican Church in London but I have been unable to find a single baptism for the resulting children.
This post has me wondering if they were all baptised at home, the last being mid 1880s.
-
This post has me wondering if they were all baptised at home, the last being mid 1880s.
They might not have been baptised anywhere, it might have been accepted practice but was it ever a legal requirement.
-
I have a marriage on my tree Christmas Day 1869 between Alfred Gowlett and Mary Ann Ellen Moss both aged 19 years who got married in the schoolroom in Radwinter Essex.
In the marriage register, they seem to be unusual as all other marriages are marked as 'at church' or 'at the Parish Church'
It looks like it was changed on the certificate with 'church' being overwritten by (possibly) 'licensed'.
I wonder why the church was not used?
-
Perhaps the church was being repaired or rebuilt. One local Catholic hapel fell into disrepair and it was a number of years until a new one was built and opened. In the meanshile services were conducted in a barn. It might be that the school was connected or near the church so the marriage was performed there.
-
This post has me wondering if they were all baptised at home, the last being mid 1880s.
They might not have been baptised anywhere, it might have been accepted practice but was it ever a legal requirement.
No even under church law a baptism is a baptism no matter where it takes place even if that is in a local river.
Cheers
Guy
PS I should mention the answer would be different if you were asking about marriages, they have strict requirements to fulfil and some marriages under covid rules are of dubious legality
-
As my gtgrandmother was originally from Ireland, I had thought she was catholic although she married in an Anglican Church.
Perhaps she wanted the children baptised but not as Anglicans, or again perhaps they never were. I simply don’t know.
They all married in an Anglican Church.
-
As my gtgrandmother was originally from Ireland, I had thought she was catholic although she married in an Anglican Church.
Perhaps she wanted the children baptised but not as Anglicans, or again perhaps they never were. I simply don’t know.
They all married in an Anglican Church.
Have you looked for adult baptisms after marriage? I have several that were baptised after marriage, up to seven years post marriage in one case.
-
Adult baptism after marriage had never occurred to me, what would be the point?
I’ve had baptisms just prior to marriage at a different church.
-
Adult baptism after marriage had never occurred to me, what would be the point?
Several reasons depending on circumstances:
One in my extended family, early 20th century was so that husband could be buried in same grave as his wife in the part of the cemetery for her denomination.
To fit in with the rest of the family.
A genuine religious conversion.
Serious illness.
-
From time to time you can spot "privately baptised" in a church register - this indicates a home baptism for a child who was unwell and at risk of dying before it could be brought to church. There is a special service for this in the Book of Common Prayer ; following that is a set of instructions for the Minister to follow when the child is brought to church. There is as well as a service The Ministration of Baptsim to those of Riper Years, and are able to answer for themselves
In my current indexing I am finding so, so many children baptised on one day and buried the next, or in the next week. Perinatal mortality used to be high.
-
There were 8 children that I know of. The school records I have seen say they were not exempt from Religious Instruction.
Only 2 died young, and they lie in public cemeteries such as Islington.
Apart from the two who died young, only one didn't marry and raise a family.
Thank you for the information though, it's something to bear in mind for the future.
-
One lot of my Greatgrandparents was a "mixed" marriage(Ireland 1860s-1870s) - the boys were brought up Presbyterian and the girls R.C.
However, in the Register of the local Catholic church there are a entries for the first four boys "baptised privately and conditionally" at the ages of 3-11 months.