Genealogy Chat

I have a reference in an old family letter that states that my gg grandmother's father "only lived (long enough) to see that baby 'shortcoated' ". Can anyone tell me how old the child would have been when his father died? We are talking of the 1820s.

Thanks Virginia.

Hi Virginia, this might help, scroll down to "Roman Catholic tradition"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptismal_clothing

The traditional clothing for a child being baptised into the Roman Catholic faith is a christening gown, a very long, white infants' garment now made especially for the ceremony of christening and usually only worn then.

They are in fact the normal, or at least "best", outer clothing of Western babies until about the 19th century. The moment of progression to shorter dresses (for both boys and girls) was known as "shortcoating", which presumably coincided with the beginning of walking, which was impossible in a long robe.

Also some information here

http://tinyurl.com/yj4seg7

"this same wardrobe would have been worn by babies up to about 9 months old, when ready to learn to walk, at which point their wardrobe changed rather markedly. They would then have been "short-coated", put into shifts, ankle-length petticoats, and back-lacing gowns".

Paragraph quoted from:
http://sharonburnston.com/baby_linen/index.html

This is really interesting. It's a term I have not heard before, and just goes to prove that no matter how old you are or how long you have been doing family history there is still something new to learn every day.

Kath. x

My mother was born in l909, and she could remember one of her young brothers being "breeched" and he started wearing trousers instead of a dress - I think he was about two or three at the time.
Liz

Thanks to everyone for your quick replies to my question. The information has been extremely helpful. Regards Virginia in Australia.

Interesting and all adds to knowledge of former times