Baptisms, writing before name, and godparents

[LoesLamb]

Page with three RC baptisms, St Wilfrid, Hulme. Two of them have the same thing written before the name. What could it be?

Page is here:
http://members.chello.nl/b.admans/1878AlfredBennettBaptism.jpg

Alfred Bennett was the 9th child of his parents. The other children were baptized soon after birth. Possibly he was born when his parents were returning from India.
Could it be he had been baptized somewhere else before, and this was just a formal registration in their new residence? There are no godparents named either, just some kind of check-mark!

Loes

 

[PrueM]

Hi Loes

I have no idea really, but to me it looks like it could be something like "demi sud".  Doesn't seem to make sense though.

I'm sure someone who knows what they're talking about will be along soon!

Cheers
Prue

[Alexander.]

I think the first word might be 'domi' perhaps meaning they were baptised at home (maybe privately)   but as Prue says I'm sure someone who knows Latin will be along shortly...

Alexander

[maryd]

Derni? (as in 'last')?? You cannot be baptised twice tho....some churches record reception into their church after private or urgent baptism eg catholic, or record 'baptised in danger of death'.....but can't help any further - sorry
maryd

[LoesLamb]

I read derni sub ?? first, then something 2nd.
I too wondered if it could have been something like Domi Sui: at home. But it seems so odd, unless there was an emergency.

As a matter of fact, I myself was "baptized twice". Born too early, and it was bitterly cold, so the priest came to the house. Some time later there was an official ceremony in church. My mum kept telling that over and over again, as mine was the only baptism she had attended herself.

And then no godparents, just that mark. If there would have been an earlier "emergency baptism" at sea, or wherever, maybe the child already had godparents then.

Loes

[veeblevort]

I would suggest it says 'domi sua', although the o's are so bad it could be 'domo sua'. There
are so many dots all over the place I'm not convinced there is an 'i' in there. Anyway, as to meaning -
'his house'.

vv.

EDIT: As has already been suggested by loeslamb. So sorry, didn't notice.

[AJ100]

If Domi Sua means 'at home' this was common practice for children who were ill and not expected to live, so the Baptism was got in as quickly as possible.

AJ

[behindthefrogs]

If a child is baptised at home many churches require that it is later brought to church and presented to the congregation.  This second ceremony which is regarded as completing the baptism is not a second baptism but is intended so that the congregation commit to their responsibility for looking after the upbringing of the child.  It is however often recorded in the register and can be transcribed as though it was a second baptism.  There are numerous variations in registers of how a baptism at home is recorded, the strangest of which is probably the expression "half baptised".

[LoesLamb]

Something has gone wrong here, a few replies missing. Domo Sua: at home.

Yes, I am aware of "emergency baptisms".
And also that after a baptism at home (or in a workhouse) an official ceremony could take place in church at a later date.

In the case of Alfred Bennett it was strange to see a baptism at home, more than a year after his birth, while his siblings had always been baptized as soon as possible, even in India (godparents not registered there). Their youngest, born in 1881, was baptized in St Wilfrid's (or at least it was registered there, including godparents), 9 days after her birth.
I don't know where Alfred was born. He probably died in 1879, so he doesn't appear in any census.

If the family had lived in Hulme, he would have been baptized there and then, in 1877. So I presume he was born somewhere between India and Manchester. And probably baptized, maybe not in a church. Finding his birth might tell me about the family's whereabouts between 1876 and 1878.

The only explanation I can think of, for this baptism at home:
Father Croskell visited the house because these people were new in the parish, or maybe he was called because little Alfie was very sick. He might have had doubts if the child had been properly baptized, and made absolutely sure he was now. The parents might have had papers showing the other living children had been baptized in India.
An unexpected baptism would explain also why there were no godparents recorded. Maybe godparents had already been chosen at an earlier occasion. Maybe that's what the v marks meant?

Loes