NickM
11-11-2008, 09:54 AM
My friend (who is researching his family tree) has found a branch who may have been travellers. He told me an amusing story, which I'm not sure is true, and I was wondering if anyone else has heard of this ?
The story goes that in the late 1800's, well-meaning clergymen would pay travelling families a few pennies if they had their children baptised in their church. Now, travellers being enterprising folk, would gather up as many children as they could find, and have them baptised, and some of the other familes would turn up in the following weeks with the same children ! Then, when the travellers moved on, they might find another clergyman willing to pay a few pennies, and the children would be baptised all over again in the new place, which makes researching the families a nightmare.
Has anyone else come across this, or is my friend telling porkies ?
The story goes that in the late 1800's, well-meaning clergymen would pay travelling families a few pennies if they had their children baptised in their church. Now, travellers being enterprising folk, would gather up as many children as they could find, and have them baptised, and some of the other familes would turn up in the following weeks with the same children ! Then, when the travellers moved on, they might find another clergyman willing to pay a few pennies, and the children would be baptised all over again in the new place, which makes researching the families a nightmare.
Has anyone else come across this, or is my friend telling porkies ?