Genealogy Chat

I have the Baptismal records of 8 children born to the same parents but only one of them states 'Received into the Church'.

Also on two entries after the parents names is P.B.

Could anyone enlighten me please?

M. Steer

Are these submitted records from the IGI? If so, treat them with suspicion - submitted records are often wildly inaccurate. They have been entered by members of the LDS who have the duty to trace their family back a few generations and a lot of the entries are probably just made up.

"Received into the Church" would probably mean they joined the Latter Day Saints (LDS) or Mormons.

No, these have been taken from the Record Office.
Early 19th Century.

M. Steer

P.B. would probably be Private Baptism, which means they were baptised at home. Often this was for children too ill to attend church. Received into the Church was often a separate ceremony after a baptism.

Thankyou Ann, that makes sense, as one of the children died quite soon after birth, hopefully the other survived.

M. Steer

The other child was P.B. Sept. 1819 then 'received into the Church' March 1820. Could it be that he wasn't expected to live but survived?

M. Steer

Could be, but could also be baptised after death.

In the past children were expected to be taken to church to be baptised in a public ceremony before the congregation. The service welcomed them into the family of the church (still does). If a child was not expected to survive they could have a private baptism which took place very shortly after birth but then if and when they were well enough they were taken to church to be received into the family of the church. They were never baptised after death.

Andy

Andy

Some children were baptised after death - may not have been all that common, but it DID happen

Ann, I've never heard of anyone being Baptised after Death. Certainly not 6 months after!

Doesn't the Soul leave the body at the point of death?

M. Steer

The mormon church baptise after death, Church of England do not. Private baptism followed by a service during which the child is received into the church is a Church of England service. If you have a copy of the Book of Common Prayer in the house - and I bet lots of you had one as a christening present even if you never open it - take a look, the services, and the circumstances when they might be used, are set out in there.

Margaret

Sorry, I hadn't read the dates properly! But I can assure you that some were baptised after death - I've seen it in records.

Baptism is a Holy Sacrament that can only be received ONCE.

M. Steer

For Church of England records these definitely mean privately baptised then received into the church if the child survived.
Sometimes the gentry had their children baptised in their own homes but it was more usually done for sickly infants.

I have seen these numerous times while looking through parish records. I am sure somewhere I once read that any member of the church can in an emergency baptise an infant thought to be dying.

The record in the register of "received into the church" isn't another baptism but records the time the child was well enough to be taken to church for the first time.

Sue

I agree with Ann., - I too have seen a record in the registers, (C of E in Sussex) where a child was baptised after death.
Very unusual but it obviously did happen sometimes.

Gwyn

Private baptisms took place at home or in the church but seperately from everyone else's. It seems they were chosen as a matter of preference by some couples, given the high infant mortality rates you would expect to see more of these if illness/sickness was the major reason.
The term received into church is often used for older children/adults or those who have been baptised once already.

I have an ancester who had a PB (private Baptism) on 5/4/1855 age 5wks which was recorded into the parish records and showed he was born in March 1855.

He was then recieved into the church on 20/5/1856 which was also entered in the parish records.

He went on to marry and have children of his own before he died age 38years in 1893!

Another ancester was born one year and baptised 2 years later with his baby brother!

The baptisms after death make sense, if they haven't been "received" by the church in life, the burial service would be difficult in the eyes of the church.

I too have had ancestors who became of Mormon faith, baptised and received into the faith after death and also any marriage (including 1st marriages) acknowledged later too!

Dee

Thank you Gwyneth! Pleased someobody agrees with me - I was made to feel a bit stupid, although I knew I was right!

Thankyou all for your replies.

I now know what P.B., and 'received into Church' means.

M. Steer

Hoobityboobity, whatever happened to 'Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of heaven'? I wouldnt want to have anything to do with a church which had forgotten those words.
Hope I have quoted it correctly, getting old, memory not so good.