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In my grandfathers case - there were no deaths - the first entry is correct - the second is erroneous - In Dorset parish registers there are many entries stating this child is being admitted to this parish having been previously baptised - presumably for the Poor Rate

Irene in Spain - amazing two Irenes on one thread !

Hi there,

In the days before any modern 'benefit system', I have heard that babies were sometimes baptised in more than one parish so that the parents could claim settlement within that parish. This was done (although rarely), so that if the family fell on hard times they could make their way to the specific parish and claim parish relief from the local parish council and authorities.

Of course, if they were able too, they could possibly go around the other parishes and claim off them also, I presume.

On another note, my aunt was given an informal blessing in a church by a priest when she was born, before an actual baptism. This was done in a C of E church before she was christened in a R C Church. Apparently this was quite common although it was an informal affair in that there was no register for this kind of blessing. It was apparently very common in Victorian times, although the tradition was obviously going on until the 1950s when my aunt was born. There is a name for this, but I can't think of it now! If I remember I'll post it on here!

They were a cheeky lot our Ancestors,...... wern`t they!


Getting baptised in 2 different Parishes incase you needed Poor relief /Settlement from the other Parish,

I suppose this was the equivalent of our modern day "Milking the System"


Thanks all of you for your input, I didn`t expect so many replies, hopefully this will help others who read this and have similar problems in their tree.......


Nicky

Mind you Nicky, I suppose many of them were desperate, especially if they were ag labs and moved around a lot trying to find work. Look at how many children some of them had to feed!! lol

It could be two children

I have three brother Thomas, Richard and Henry who all named their children Thomas, Richard and Henry who all named their children Thomas, Richard and Henry. I have two Thomas's married to Mary's. Two Richard's married to Ann and Henry's who married Betty's.

So two cousins who married wives with the same forename could have baptised children at the same church within a year

LaGooner


Well I hope someone is watching over you then, with 2 baptisms in to 2 different denominations you should certainly have a guardian angel!!


Tootyfruity ..... yes I have some of those......why couldn`t they show some imagination and call them all some obscure name.......Lol............so much easier to trace!!


Nicky