How long after birth were babies baptised?

[las camelias]

Yes, thanks, I do understand that baptisms often took place sometimes many years after the birth, it was just the average time after birth according to custom that I was after.  I shall go with 2 weeks!
LC

[Musicman]

Digressing slightly (me digress – never!) from your actual enquiry – but still about baptisms of years ago.  I’m currently transcribing local baptismal registers for Non-Conformist Churches around the 1850s, for my local Records Office.

Something I’ve found interesting are that some families had a “whole batch” done – 3 or 4 children baptised at one go – ages ranging up to about 8 years old.  The oldest baptism that I’ve seen recorded in this book was for a 16-year-old!

I mentioned this to one of the staff and she told me that the oldest baptism she’d come across was someone in their 30s!  She was carrying out some work for a family, and couldn’t find the baptism of one of the boys.  She explored all “avenues” she could think of, but to no avail. She was later doing research about the later years of the same family – and that’s when she discovered the “baptism” she had been looking for – which was carried out when the “baby” was in his thirties!

[7igerby7he7ail]

I had 3 siblings way back in my tree all baptised on the same day [ triplets was my first thought]
But no, they were  aged 3 months,2 years and 5.

My mother was baptised when she was 6. I was 4 when I was dunked. I dont know why it was left till later

Everybody else seems to be 'conventional'

[ChasH]

Just come across your posting and as I've searched over a thousand yearsworth of BT' and /or PR's (well over a hundred years from most of the places in my interests) and although there might have been guidance and/or a rule concerning the length of time between birth of a child and its baptism, nobody took much notice of it.

For example:-

In 1802 Badminton BT's is:-

"Frances Cecil Daughter of the Rev. Charles Talbot and the Lady Elizabeth his wife was born October the 11th  and baptized   21st Dec'r?"

and in Bisley GLS BT's of 1794 are :-

Rachael of Edw'd Whiting ag'd 3  P              (P = pauper)
Thomas of James Gardiner 7 yrs old

1760 May31   Thomas of Daniel Mason 5 yrs old
                   John of Daniel Mason 10? yrs old

One often finds multiple baptisms of one family's children.   Perhaps as a result of a vicar's "blitz" after the Bishop's visitation and baptism of an adult not long before marriage seems not all that rare.

Regards

Chas

P.S

1760 May 9  Daniel Mason . . . . . . 32 yrs old!!

P.P.S.

1760 Bisley GLS BT's also give this marriage:-

May 27  Daniel Mason  Mary Davis..............

Q.E.D.

[Siamese Girl]

There may also be a problem with private baptisms and later public presentations in church. If a baby was baptised privately - ie perhaps it was sickly, the parents were supposed to have it publically baptised in church afterwards, but sometimes didn't bother.

Reading the diaries of Parson James Woodforde, quite often he privately baptised a child but there is no record of that baptism in the PRs.

Carole

[las camelias]

With much appreciation to all who have contributed to this topic.  I have plenty to mull over, thanks to rootschatters wherever you are
LC