Napoleon baptised in Kenmare...what the heck?

[Stender]

I was perusing the parish registers of Kenmare, as you do, and I perked up at an unusual name, as you do, and then I read on. Napoleon! Not The Napoleon but his son! Has anybody else seen this? Why was he in Kenmare? So many questions!
It says :
Napoleon - Rd Mallaghan Bap. Napoleon Francis Charles Bonaparte Emporer of France King of Italy and Protector of the Confederation of the Eirie.

I read that he would have been 12 yrs old and living in exile in Austria at the time.

Anybody else find this crazy???

See the first register (microfilm 04289/01) it's on the bottom right page 33.
https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634289#page/33/mode/1up

[philipsearching]

Welcome to Rootschat

I read the beginning as Ego E^d. OCallaghan

If I am correct, the priest was Edward (Edmund?) O'Callaghan.  It would be interesting to know if he had been anywhere near Bonaparte before being assigned to Kenmare Parish.  There was an Irish Brigade in the French army (founded by Jacobites?).

Perhaps this is relevant:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/boards/surnames.callahan/1142/mb.ashx

Philip

[josey]

  . Does look like 1811 in margin yet it appears in the July 1823 Kenamare baptisms.
This is what wiki says about the baptism, doesn't say who performed it:
The baptism, inspired by the baptismal ceremony of Louis, Grand Dauphin of France, was held on 9 June 1811 in Notre Dame de Paris. Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg, Austrian ambassador to France, wrote of the baptism:

The baptism ceremony was beautiful and impressive; the scene in which the emperor took the infant from the arms of his noble mother and raised him up twice to reveal him to the public [thus breaking from long tradition, as he did when he crowned himself at his coronation] was loudly applauded; in the monarch's manner and face could be seen the great satisfaction that he took from this solemn moment

[JohninSussex]

Wikipedia links
Napoleon II
King of Italy
Confederation of the Rhine

[Stender]

Thanks for the re-transcription, I'm not very good at deciphering the handwriting!

I think that he was undoubtedly baptized in Paris, he was Napoleon II after all. Maybe he came over in Ireland and they held this ceremony for political reasons, keeping up good relations etc?

As for the Irish brigade, I was reading about them last night but they were disbanded before 1823. But I'll look into it further as it may have been replaced by something else.

It's all very strange, especially with the date 1811 in the margin. And the Callahan/O'Callaghan message makes it even more mysterious!

[aghadowey]

Perhaps you might ask here for details of this baptism?
http://napoleonireland.com/

[Stender]

Thanks Aghadowey, I'll write to them tomorrow!
Today I wrote to the Fondation Napoléon in Paris and they just said that Napoleon II was baptised at Notre Dame in Paris, had never been to Ireland and the register has nothing to do with him, which I thought was very dull for an answer. I do think it's worth looking in to WHO baptised him in Paris, was it Ed. O'Callaghan?
Anyway, I wrote to the Kerry archives, they probably already know about it or else it might spark interest. I certainly think it's worth a try at Napoleon Ireland. I'll keep you posted!
In the meantime, if anybody hears of anything... I would be so disappointed if this was a 19th century joke!

[philipsearching]

I have been turning this over in my mind and I think the most probable solution is:

Napoleon II was baptised in Notre Dame de Paris - this is confirmed by historical sources.

The priest heading the baptism service would have been a top-level clergyman - Archbishop of Paris or a Cardinal perhaps.

It is fair to suggest that there would have been several other clergymen assisting in the proceedings - holding the crucifix, handing items to the top clergyman, assisting with Holy Communion and so on.

It might well be the case that Father Ed O'Callaghan was what might be described as one of the many junior assistants at the ceremony.


It is very unlikely that there will be a record of every clergyman who participated in the ceremony (probably no named individuals below the rank of bishop).  However, depending on how good records are, it might just be possible to trace Father O'Callaghan's career to find out if he trained or served in Paris or was attached to a senior clergyman who was at the ceremony.

The idea that this was a nineteenth century joke is possible, but I much prefer to think that it is a case of "I was there - I was on the team".

Philip

[rathmore]

church records

http://www.irishgenealogy.ie

Napoleon Bonaparte baptised 30.6.1823 Kenmare father NR Bonaparte