Genealogy Chat

I wondered if it was usual in the mid 1800's to have most of your children christened as a 'job lot'? I appear to have found 4 or 5 being christened on the same day! Sue

Sometimes a new vicar, horrified at the godlessness of his flock, has mass baptisms. In earlier periods, it might be an indication of nonconformity: have the children 'done' but spend as little time as possible in the church. In my family, it sometimes seems like a superstition: they've never bothered before, but one child is sickly (and often subsequently dies) so they have them all baptised, just in case. B

I've come across this more than once. It can happen if it's not C of E and they have to wait for the travelling minister. If it's C of E, then I always assumed it was when the Vicar went visiting every so often and was into 'now what's going on here then! you'll have to come along and get them all done at once!' mode. Christine

Glance down the page and see who else is christened that day too. More than once we have found cousins christened at the same time, maybe with different surnames, sometimes the same.

I heard that sometimes families couldn't afford to pay the vicar so they had them done in a job lot when they had a bit of spare cash.

One of my elderly neighbours remembers being taken, along with her siblings and cousins, to visit her grandparents and all the children then being baptised in the 'home' church.

I have just received some parish details for my family in Yorkshire in 1761 they buried my 5xGrandmother and christened her baby who was just over a week old on the same day! :( Sheila

I have something similar Sheila. My GGgrandmother died the day that her baby daughter was christened and was buried 3 days later.

thanks for the replies....I suspect my lot were made to feel guilty and got them all done at once! Sue

I also understand that sometimes the vicar would demand all the family was christened when perhaps one of the children was about to get married.

Hi Sue - I have found this as well. I am sure that they can't all have been twins or triplets. Saves on the cake, I suppose!!

It's happened more recently than that... ;) Me & my four children, all christened on June 6th 1993. Sam