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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Davedrave on Friday 19 November 21 09:20 GMT (UK)
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I have just come across two brothers who were baptised twice in the Church of England, in neighbouring villages and some years apart. Nat Woodward was baptised privately, according to the PR of Thurlaston, Leicestershire, in 1861. His brother was baptised there in 1864, but was born the previous year. They were sons of George Woodward, butcher, and wife Caroline.
In 1870 both boys were baptised at the same time in Earl Shilton, sons of George Woodward, cattle dealer, and wife Caroline (she had actually died the previous year). The dates of birth are given, and they are clearly the same children. This is reinforced by the fact that when George Woodward married in Enderby in 1883, a witness was Nat Woodward.
I think that there is a “P” in the column next to George’s 1864 baptism. If both initial baptisms were private would this explain the later baptisms?
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When I attended a christening a few years ago, the rector explained that a "normal" christening consists of 2 parts: Christening and Baptism.
Sometimes these are done as 2 separate ceremonies.
Baptism is an initiation into the church.
Christening is the naming ceremony.
Also, after a private baptism there is usually the "received into church" ceremony in church.
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Nat's first baptism was 3 months after birth. Private baptisms are usually done quickly if the child is not expected to survive, followed by the receiving into church if the child survived. A private baptism would normally be in the family home, so unlikely to be in the church record. I believe the church record is the date of the receiving into church, which would fit with the three month gap between birth and baptism.
The second baptism for both boys includes three names in the margin, George (father?) and William and Mary Woodward - have they been identified? Godparents?? As the mother had died, perhaps she had taken the boys for their first baptism and George didn't know about it. Or perhaps it was a way of acknowledging William and Mary as guardians should anything happen to George.
I have known illegitimate children being rebaptised when the mother marries a man who may or may not be the biological father, thus changing the child's surname.
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Thanks for your explanations.
With regard to the names in the margin in the 1870 record, George Woodward might be George the father of George. Mary Woodward was almost certainly George’s sister. She’d been born in about 1825 and was still single until 1878. William Woodward is a mystery. Mary and George did have a brother William, but he was baptised in 1831 and buried within the year, and seems to have been the only William in the family at this period.
Dave