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Birth and baptism dates - how to record
| Profile | Posted by | Options | Post Date |
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Bob | Report | 4 Feb 2004 22:14 |
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Where I have a number of siblings baptised within a year or so of each other I have started to record the birth date as the baptism date, unless the baptism is in January/February. I consider it very unlikely that baptisms would be delayed for very long if they occur at regular intervals, why not do them all together? What do other members think? will I be missleading others if I continue to do this? I know myself the risks but will I be passing them on to the unwitting? Bob |
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Shelli4 | Report | 4 Feb 2004 22:38 |
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Bob in my tree i have one child baptised almost straight after her birth. This was 1908. I knew she had four siblings so thought i could pin their appox DOB by finding their baptisms, I did find them all on the same day in 1921. So ithink if the partisms are single one you should be ok, else just put a year and tick the box for appox yr Shelli |
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Margaret | Report | 4 Feb 2004 23:49 |
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Never use a baptism date as a birth date. It's Ok to put abt or around then the date. It's obvious if say 7 children are baptised at the same time that they are not all the same age. Make a note that all children were baptised at the same time. In time you will forget some of this info and your work is in danger of becoming a work of fiction. Sometimes a vicar records the ages alongside the baptism date. I've posted on this subject several times and I always quote this. My grandmother was born in 1880 and not baptised until 1886. Always record exactly what you find, dont assume anything. If its a baptism then record that it is a baptism. Margaret |
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Simon | Report | 4 Feb 2004 23:54 |
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On a related topic - I've only recently noticed that my family tree software has got spaces for both a 'Christening' date and a 'Baptism' date - maybe a silly question but aren't they the same thing . . . . or maybe not ? I can understand that someone might get baptised later in life - even as an adult, but you would hardly use the term Christening for this; but then, how could someone be christened as a child but not baptised. Am I missing something obvious here ? |
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Bob | Report | 5 Feb 2004 13:17 |
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Thank you for your replys. I would not of course record the baptism date as the birth date. I only use the year. Eg. If I have a March 1856 baptism followed by a May 1857 I would record the births as 1856 and 1857 without a day or month. Bob |
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Deborah | Report | 5 Feb 2004 17:38 |
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Hi Bob, Like Margaret & Maurice say, it's not a really good idea unless you have an age from some other source to back up the fact that they were born around the time they were baptised, like an age from a marr cert or death cert or census record. My gr-gr-grandmother was born 20 Feb 1858, according to the baptism entry for her on 26 Mar 1875!! Her sister was almost 20, when she was baptised too! Yet the others were done relatively soon after birth?! My husbands gr-grandfather was 8 when he was baptised also. Debbie |
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