Royal Navy Baptism's

[NormanE]

A friend, the child of a Royal Navy officer was baptised on one of HM ships in 1948.
They are puzzled why the baptism certificate has their mothers maiden name on the certificate. This was their third child and they had been married for 7 years.
Is or was there a reason for the mothers maiden name being used?
NormanE

[barryd]

Looks like a  to me. Are you saying the father's name was not on the Baptism Certificate? See if you can track down the original "Parish Register" or whatever it was called in a Navy context because let us say another naval baby was baptized on land in Portsmouth then both father and mother should be recorded  by the Chaplain on land in the naval chapel in the Baptism Register. .

Another question would be whether the ship was in port as it would unlikely for the mother to be on the high seas on a Royal Navy Ship.

Perhaps the Naval Chaplain (on a Navy Ship) was not familiar with Baptizing a baby on board a ship,

And lastly the baby should be civilly registered at the Registry Office nearest to where it was born.  Get that certificate and compare that to see if there is anything unusual on that,   

Sorry about all questions and no answers.

[KGarrad]

Are you sure that the baptism as on board an actual ship, rather than being at a "stone frigate" shore establishment?

Would seem a little unusual to have civilians aboard a working ship?

[Jebber]

One of my relatives was Baptised on board a naval ship.

It’s a very old tradition to have babies Baptised on board RN Ships.
Sometimes  called a bell baptism when the  bell is used as a font, and the baby’s name and the date  is sometimes engraved on the inside of the bell.

 There have been a several baptisms on board submarines.

[barryd]

I am glad that we have some answers to this rather complex question. Hopefully it can be resolved.

[barryd]

I suppose that it would be possible under normal circumstances (less the virus) to be Baptized on HMS Victory.