Confused by denomination

[PaulStaffs]

I have a family with half a dozen children born in the 1820s. Some of the middle children were baptised at an Independent chapel while the others were 'done' at the usual Anglican parish church. I could understand if they had switched from one denomination to another but it seems odd that they are mixed up in this way (unless they tried the non-conformist route then changed their minds). The parents themselves were both baptised at the parish church.

Does anyone else have this situation or thoughts as to why it might happen?

[Kiltpin]

I really don't know the answer. 

But sometimes it is not about the Message, but rather about the Messenger. Some preachers are just more charismatic than others. At a time before radio and TV and literacy was low, maybe a better class of live entertainment was called for. 

Regards 

Chas

[majm]

Are you referring to baptisms in England or elsewhere? 

In the 1820s (and from around 1810 to around mid 1840s in some instances) in New South Wales, (at that time, a British penal colony), the requirement was for the clergy of all denominations to provide the NSW Chaplains with details of each baptism, burial, wedding, performed during the quarter.  These transmitted records were used to provide statistical information to the English Penal Administration in London.  The NSW Chaplains were C of E reverends, and so there are baptisms for Wesleyan, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and the other denominations recorded in the C of E parish registers for those selected C of E Reverends who were appointed as NSW Chaplains.

ADD, so sometimes the extant record is the C of E one, other times it is the one from the original clergyman, and other times it is a transmitted record somewhere in between those two options.  Sometimes up to FIVE different registers hold the transmitted information sent to the NSW Chaplains. 

JM

[pharmaT]

Was it boys in one and girls in another?  I know of families where the couple cam from different religious backgrounds and they came to such a compromise.

[Andrew Tarr]

I have mentioned before one of my wife's ancestors who was born in rural Northumberland in November 1835, baptised by a travelling Methodist minister in January, and again just before her first birthday in the local parish church soon after it opened.  I presume there was a strong feeling that newborns should be baptised early in case of misfortune, especially if they seemed sickly.

One difficulty for family historians is that the deeds of travelling ministers were recorded 'at home base' (as it were) and may have been transcribed as if they had taken place in the big city - in this case Newcastle, which was a day's journey away and most unlikely for this farming family in mid-winter.

[PaulStaffs]

Thanks to all for the input. In reply to the questions, this was in Staffordshire, England and unfortunately it doesn't fall into a male/female pattern! When the children grew up, got married and had their own children all ceremonies took place at the parish church. The minister must have been quite charismatic (or stubborn!) as he remained in post for over 40 years!

Maybe they parents just 'dabbled' with the Independents, although two of the girls went on to work for the minister's son - the famous Robert Spear Hudson of Hudson's Soap fame - when they grew up.

[Maiden Stone]

Is there any pattern timewise?
Have you researched the history of the chapel and ministers and the history of that denomination in the area?
Did they live in a town or countryside?
You said that their parents were both baptised in C. of E. If they were born in late 18thC they may have been included in local Anglican parish baptism register whatever their denomination. There was a tax on births to pay for debts of American War of Independence. Anglican clergy collected the tax so had to keep records of all children born in their parish. Names of some of my Catholic ancestors born 1780s-early 1800s were in Anglican baptism register. It's similar to the situation described by majm in reply #2.

[hallmark]

Have you checked to see if one church was closed and "under repair" for example...

[Andrew Tarr]

The minister must have been quite charismatic (or stubborn!) as he remained in post for over 40 years!   

I think ministers then quite often did. I have transcribed parish records from rural Lancashire and witnessed the vicar baptising for over 50 years, with his script slowly deteriorating until he gave up and died at 83.  Some of them were essentially incumbents for life, and sometimes handed on to a close relative.  May have been in the gift of the local landowner.