17th century Baptism, birth and burial same day.

[AlgarvePete]

Whilst researching the Crabtree side of my family I found several occurences of infants being Baptised and buried the same day at the church of St Helen, Sandal Magna in the 17th century and in one case the spirit of the infant being Baptised. Was this common practise? I searched on Google but nothing found. Interested in any comments or help, regards, Pete

[BumbleB]

Not absolutely positive but it is my understanding that it was deemed necessary to have been baptised in order that your "soul" went to heaven on death.  I could be very wrong in my interpretation. 

[AlgarvePete]

Thanks Bumble, that is what I thought, as I say in one particular case they Baptise the spirit.

[lydiaann]

And wasn't baptism necessary to be able to bury the deceased in consecrated ground?

[Rena]

As new mother's weren't allowed outside the house for at least three weeks,  due to being "unclean" until "churched", I think the father would have taken his baby to be baptised, or the vicar/priest had been asked during the birth to be present in the house at the birth.

My mother and her cousins were all born early 20th century and one of the female cousins recounted to me how she went to visit one of her aunts and was refused entry because she hadn't been cleansed in church.!!