Baptisisms

[pete edwards]

Hi all

Im puzzled here ,  Why would my line (circa 1820) be baptised in a R.C. church, when there is no evidence of them being R.C. previous, also if they did convert, would the baptism record be date of birth or baptism,
My lot were a/g/labs, and some kind reader told me that sometimes to follow the work, If your boss was R.C. then the pressure was on you to convert, this would fit in with what I suspect, as the prominent landowner had his own R.C. chappal in his hall.

Just wondered if any of you other readers have come across the same problem.

Pete .

[jericho]

Hi Pete

Hope you don't mind me joining in on this one, I've got a similar question about  the difference between a Christening and a Baptism. Were  Baptism only performed by the R.C. church.  And is it safe to say that if a person was Christened, it was by another religion and not R.C.


jericho

[nanny jan]

My Book of Common Prayer (bridesmaid gift from nearly 40 years ago) uses the word Baptism.......that's Church of England.   Not sure if Roman Catholics use same word or Christening!

Nanny Jan

[heywood]

They both mean the same but the Sacrament is called Baptism - you are baptised but often when it is a baby/child you hear it called Christening - Christ -ening - made a member of Christ's church. That's my thought anyway!
Pete do you know for definite that your ancestors were baptised Roman Catholic? There weren't RC churches before Catholic Emancipation Act 1829 (according to what I read).
best wishes
heywood

[behindthefrogs]

Was the wife a Roman Catholic?  RCs were not supposed to marry non RCs unless they promised to bring their children up as RCs.

All of the non-conformist churches call it baptism in particular the Baptists.

David

[Simon G.]

To me christenings are what you have done to children, and baptisms are the things that get done as an adult when the individual makes their own conscious decision to become a member of the church.
I make the seperation, 'cause the churches that have baptisms for adults who've chosen it only don't generally seem to follow up with confirmation...whereas the CoE and Catholic churches do.

[MarieC]

Heywood is right.  Baptism and christening are the same thing, but baptism is the correct name for the sacrament, and christening is an informal word often used by people. 

Heywood - yes, indeed there were RC churches before 1829.  People could be baptised and buried from them, but not married - marriage had to be in the Established Church (ie C of E).  To my great surprise I found RC ancestors, after spending a lot of time wondering why I could find their marriages in a C of E church, but nothing else.  By great good luck I have been led to the RC church they worshipped in, late 18th/early 19th century, and a number of baptisms there.  (My ggggrandfather, though, for his first marriage managed to marry one day in the Catholic church - for his faith - and the next day in a C of E - to be legal.  Bet he didn't tell the C of E about the Catholic marriage the day before!)

Pete, from all my experience, the date in the register will be the baptism date, though if you are very lucky the priest may have written in the birth date as well!

It is awfully hard to find Catholic ancestors as most of the registers haven't been handed in anywhere.  So good hunting!!! 

MarieC

[pete edwards]

Many thanks to all of you for thoughts, they all seem to point the same way, so maybe I am on the right track after all. ( I think ),

Best regards,
Pete ,

[MarieC]

Good luck, Pete!! 

Let us know how you get on and what you find, won't you?

MarieC