Author Topic: Help deciphering baptism record?  (Read 279 times)

Offline ali.

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Help deciphering baptism record?
« on: Sunday 09 May 21 13:42 BST (UK) »
Hi all, I have a baptism record for a Bridget Kelly, daughter of Thomas Kelly and Mary Hughes, born in Armagh, Ireland 1833. I cannot seem to figure out the second half of the sentence, so if anyone could help I'd be grateful!
Noble, Bielby, Vipond - Scarborough/Whitby
Goodfellow - Shaftesbury/Cann, Dorset
Smyth, Kelly, Fearon, McAteer, Hughes - Armagh/Down

Offline Ladyhawk

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Re: Help deciphering baptism record?
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 09 May 21 14:02 BST (UK) »
Could it be Rosey Cairn sponsor  :-\
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Offline ali.

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Re: Help deciphering baptism record?
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 09 May 21 14:06 BST (UK) »
Ah it very well could be! Thanks!
Noble, Bielby, Vipond - Scarborough/Whitby
Goodfellow - Shaftesbury/Cann, Dorset
Smyth, Kelly, Fearon, McAteer, Hughes - Armagh/Down

Offline Bookbox

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Re: Help deciphering baptism record?
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 09 May 21 14:47 BST (UK) »
Looking at other entries on the page for context and comparison, I believe the entry reads ...

September 1833
16 B. Biddy D Thomas Kelly & Mary Hughes S B[...]y Carr spurious Nil


The S (after Hughes) shows that the sponsors' names follow. I’m not sure if the sponsor’s forename begins B... or R...? It could be Barny or Barry or Berny or even Benj. etc., but I think the surname is Carr, which occurs elsewhere in this register.

I would take spurious (if I've read it correctly) to mean that the child was illegitimate, and Nil to indicate that there was no second sponsor (as with other examples of Nil appearing on the same page of the register).

ADDED 1 - or maybe Nil means no charge?

ADDED 2 - it's always helpful if people post slightly larger extracts, to give some context to the query.


Offline Maiden Stone

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Re: Help deciphering baptism record?
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 09 May 21 15:36 BST (UK) »

I would take spurious (if I've read it correctly) to mean that the child was illegitimate, and Nil to indicate that there was no second sponsor (as with other examples of Nil appearing on the same page of the register).

ADDED 1 - or maybe Nil means no charge?

I haven't looked at the rest of the page so these are just my opinions.
I've noticed that, generally speaking, there was sometimes only 1 sponsor for an illegitimate child, possibly because there wasn't anyone available or willing from the father's side. Only 1 sponsor is required for a baptism in a Catholic church but 2 are usually chosen.
 "Nil" might mean there was no payment. A single mother and her parents, if they were alive, may not have had cash to spare. Money given to the church at a baptism wasn't a charge, it was a donation. The amount depended on what a family could afford and wanted to give. It varied according to status of the child's father and current economic & financial conditions. The poorest people might not have given anything. Are there figures for other baptisms? Usually between half-a-crown (2/6) and £1.
Cowban

Offline Bookbox

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Re: Help deciphering baptism record?
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 09 May 21 15:57 BST (UK) »
Are there figures for other baptisms? Usually between half-a-crown (2/6) and £1.

No sums of money shown, as least in this section of the register. There are plenty of Nil, usually when there is only one sponsor. But looking further, I have now found a couple of Nil entries where there are two sponsors.