Oldest baptism?

[andrewalston]

We all come across trees where events are associated with people who are obviously not the right age to take part.

However I chanced across this event in Huddersfield in 1865. Can anyone beat it?


And I've just noticed the surname on the entry below!   

[KGarrad]

I am confused?
What is "the right age" for a christening?

There are faiths that only believe in adult baptisms

[stanmapstone]

Some people get baptised on their death bed, just in case !

Stan

[andrewalston]

It's just that most of us would not dream of looking for a baptism 78 years after the person was born, and decades after their children were baptised in the same church. If we saw that in a tree on Ancestry we would probably lower our opinion of the research.

It must have been the threat of approaching mortality - maybe a "hellfire and damnation" sermon prompted him.

He eventually went to the grave in 1880.

[coombs]

He seemed to start to worry about death at 78, so wanted to be baptised, yet still was lucky enough to live for another 15 years to the age of 93. Obvs the baptism suggests he was illegitimate.

[stanmapstone]

Also unbaptised persons could not be buried in consecrated ground, so it was a good idea to get baptised.

Stan

[bevj]

Henry also appears to have been a girl   
Bev

[Treetotal]

Henry also appears to have been a girl   
Bev

Well spotted 
Carol

[bearkat]

Obvs the baptism suggests he was illegitimate.

I've been surprised to come across people who were illegitimate being baptised later in life.

You'd have thought that having a child out of wedlock could mean you were more likely to become dependent on the parish.  Without a baptism they wouldn't have proof of settlement rights for the parish.