I've been looking on the IGI and I have discovered that my Great-great-great-great-grandparents had two of their children christened twice at the same church, but a few years apart.

I have found two entries for John and Robert, both of whom seemed to have been christened shortly after their births and again when their sister Matilda was christened. A fourth child of the same family, Eliza, was christened a week later on 30th Jun 1837. The information that I have is as follows:-

John Gerard SAUNDERS
Born 28 Jun 1831
Christened 27 Sep 1831 Saint Marys Portsea
Parents James SAUNDERS Elizabeth


John Cherritt SAUNDERS
Born 28 Jun 1831
Christened 23 Jun 1837 Saint Marys Portsea
Parents James SAUNDERS Elizabeth

(On census, marriage and death returns John is shown with his middle name alternating between Gerard and Cherritt probably due to mishearing)


Robert SAUNDERS
Christened 14 Feb 1834 Saint Marys Portsea
Parents James SAUNDERS Elizabeth


Robert SAUNDERS
Born 17 Dec 1833
Christened 23 Jun 1837 Saint Marys Portsea
Parents James SAUNDERS Elizabeth

Anyone any ideas why they would have done this? I have seen the original parish records and there are no notes by the priest to explain and I am lead to believe by a distant relative that she has copies of parish registers that show that one child of the couple was christened three times.