Baptised Twice?

[ashbee]

I came across a new event for me (after 20-odd years of research, that's a novelty!!!) when I discovered that my3xgreat grandfather had been baptised twice! He was born on 5 July 1818 and was baptised in the parish church in Hillingdon later that same month. His parents full names were recorded in both churches so I know that this is the same couple who had the same child baptised a second time in 1820 in St Lukes church, Spitalfields - his actual birth was recorded in the second register to confirm that. The only difference that I can see now is that in 1818 his father was a shoe maker but he was described as a labourer and the family's address was marked as 'poor house' in 1820...

So, would it necessary for a child to be re-baptised to gain parish relief if, perhaps, proof of the first baptism couldn't be given? Has anyone else come across this?

[Geoffers]

At Buxton in Norfolk in the 1840's a load of children aged around 8-16 were baptised in the parish church, additonal records of baptism exist for all of them, apparantly soon after birth.

The second baptisms all relate to children who were resident in the workhouse - presumably someone thought that for their spiritual welfare they had better make sure that they had definitely been baptised.

It could be something similar happening here - perhaps there are several other similar baptisms of children in the local register, where they are also shown as resident of the poorhouse?

[Peter Goodey]

I'm a bit slow today. Which church is St Luke, Spitalfields?

[Peter Goodey]

He was born on 5 July 1818 and was baptised in the parish church in Hillingdon later that same month. .. his father was a shoe maker

You've got me going now. I'm idly looking through the baptism register of Hillingdon parish church but can't actually see a baptism that fits the description that you gave..

[Nicos]

I have a relative baptised in Norfolk in the 1870's and then when the family moved to Knutsford, Cheshire they were baptised again at the same time as the younger siblings who hadn't been baptised....sort of a family event???
And no- they weren't in the Workhouse- most of the older members worked in the crepe mill.

Maybe they just forgot about the first time???...I suppose with 8 kids you could lose track!!!!

[ashbee]

The first baptism was at St Margarets on 14th July 1818 - Henry Augustus, son of William Augustus and Margaret Hannah Davison, shoemaker of Hillingdon.

The second was on 12 May 1820 at St Lukes, CHELSEA (sorry, got my places mixed up!!!)...there are a number of baptisms for each day and the poorhouse is mentioned in some but not all of them so it's a mix...

I would think this is a way of ensuring the poor child's salvation if it should fail to survive the poorhouse! Better to be safe than sorry!!! He did, by the way...

[Peter Goodey]

St Margaret, Uxbridge

[ashbee]

Cor, I keep mixing my notes/places up today! Am having a blonde day!!!

[Keith Goodway]

Several of mine were baptised twice in Thorney, Cambridgeshire in the nineteenth century. But this was a common practise, with the first baptism being private (perhaps because the baby was poorly and they feared he might not survive) and the second one public - if he did survive !

Keith