Age at Baptism

[willow154]

Aulus and Tricia,
This is your bit:
After the child's birth the mother would go to church to be churched. Today it is a service of thnsgiving for the safe delivery of a child. Originally it was a cleansing service - comes from Leviticus.
Cost of churching in 1820 Minister's fees 1/6d
                                         Clerk's fees      1/6d
The woman can now go home until the next pregnancy!
Hope this helps,
Paulene

[willow154]

And Barrowboy, because you're in suspense and asked:
The midwife takes the placenta and throws it on the fire. She counts the 'pops' to know how many years the baby will live. Sometimes an omelette would be made and fed to the mother to rebalance her hormones.
Well, you did ask!!!
Loads more on confinementt (4 weeks) but I risk taking over Elaine's thread and don't want to overstep the mark. This could go on for pages, but it was one of the most interesting talks we've ever had.
Do you feel better now you know, Barrowboy
Kind regards,
 Paulene

[Elaine168]

'It was their job to make sure the mother experienced pain/sorrow'

Pauline, why would the new mother need help to experience pain and sorrow?

I'm relieved  though that the new mothers weren't jumping out of bed to get the babies baptized the following day.

My babies were of course born in Victorian Manchester. I'm glad this poor Irish mother had friends willing to help in her confinement.

This is all fscinating stuff. Thanks everyone for the information.
Elaine

[Elaine168]

Pauline

Please tell us about the confinement.

Elaine

[willow154]

Hi again Elaine,
People did not have babies in the fied or wherever unless it was an emergency. The confinement was prepared for. The mother-to-be took to her bed 4 weeks before the birth and for 4 weeks after the birth, or until she had been churched. There was no wandering aound doing odd jobs, she lay in her bed.
She was looked after by a monthly nurse for these last weeks of pregnancy. This person was paid for by the village. She was looked after by the family, too, calling first thing in the morning, lunchtime and in the evening.
Paulene
Bit more to follow soon

[willow154]

Sorry,
If the mother was lying in bed for 4 weeks she was a likely candidate for thrombosis. On a death certificate if it says 'died in childbirth', she bled to death. If it says 'died in childbed' it meant deep veined thrombosis.
There was an easy cure for DVT.... leeches on each leg: anticoagulant as they sucked up the blood.

[willow154]

Next bit, Elaine is about the midwives - shall we carry on, or leave that till tomorrow's episode?
paulene.

[DMP]

Hi Elaine
I Just read a article about looking for catholic ancestors in YFT mag and they said baptisms usually took place on the day of birth or very soon after

Donna

PS Paulene don't stop now

[willow154]

Hi Donna,
We meet again
So glad you solved that one!
Glad you're enjoying it. There are lots of things I never knew, and I wanted to share it with everyone.
Perhaps best to leave it till tomorrow as it's so late - give me a  nudge tomorrow evening if I haven't been on
I found this information for Elaine from a Roman Catholic church at Newark, near Nottingham, which was open at the time she mentions. Fingers crossed that it downloads.
Take care,
paulene