Multiple christenings at Gawcott

[JocelynR]

My gg-grandparents William and Mary Ann Ogden had 5 of their 9 children baptised on the same day (26.6.1864) at Gawcott church near Buckingham. Was this usual, does anyone know? Seems like an economical way of going about things - which, if you've got 9 children, is sure to be a consideration.

Jocelyn

[Wirral]

Hi Jocelyn
It wasn't usual, but it isn't uncommon. |shakehead In my family there is one line where 4 children were baptised individually, then the next 4 at the same time 14 years later. So I've no idea who was born when in that time period. Made worse by it being a fairly common name in the area. In my experience, unless a child died soon after birth or was a stillbirth or miscarriage, then children appear like clockwork at 2 year intervals. ;)

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

My FAWCETT family had 9 children too, the last 5 were baptised separately, each one aged 2 months. The first 4 were all baptised together on the same day - 09 January 1878.
They were born 1871, 1872, 1875 and 1877.

The Vicar at Heckmondwike, Yorkshire was a *man after my own heart* ...... he listed the full birth dates of all nine in a column alongside their names! :)

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

Something which happened in my CLEGG family, still upsets me to the present day.

They had eleven children, eight boys and three girls ........ my Grandma Eleanor being one of them.

ALL the boys were baptised individually, but not one of the girls! http://uk.geocities.com/[email protected]/Crying.gif

[Mythology]

Diane, I don't know your Cleggs, but, as an idle thought cum long shot ...

Were the father's and mother's sides of the family from different parishes by any chance? I haven't had this in any of my own lot as yet, but some years ago when a friend and I went to ERO to sort out her lot, we found that all the boys had been baptised in the parish where they lived, which was also where the father's side of the family lived, but all the girls had been baptised in the parish where the mother's side of the family lived.

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

Hi Myth :D

Way back in 1600, both families lived in Emley, Yorkshire, but my branch of the CLEGG's ended up in Middlestown and my NAYLOR's in Flockton ....... two small Villages close to each other. St. Michael's at Thornhill was the 'Mother' Church for both places until theirs were built in due course.

My Gt. Grandma, Louisa Naylor, was born in Flockton, but after the death of both of her Parents when she was ten, she went to live with her Aunt's family in Middlestown. Consequently, she married Sydney Clegg there at St. Luke's Church in 1880 and that's where the sons were all baptised too.

Unfortunately, I found no baptisms for any of the three daughters at any of the three Churches. Although baptism records for a good number of years, were destroyed by fire/flood at Flockton ...... this was pre 1859 and my Grandma was born in 1892.

[Mythology]

Oh, well - that's that bright idea out of the window then. :D

[uksearch]

I have seen a record for seven members of one family being baptised on the same day. I posted the link below on the Chuch Registers thread.

UK



http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c214/uksearch2003/SEVENUP.jpg (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c214/uksearch2003/SEVENUP.jpg)

[JocelynR]

Thanks, Wirral, Diane, Myth and UK for your interesting comments! I've just received my copy of Buckinghamshire Parish Registers: Gawcott Holy Trinity, which I ordered from the Buckinghamshire Family History Society. It's got baptisms from 1806-1901 and burials 1807-1867, with a name index. Nobody got married there, apparently.

http://www.bucksfhs.org.uk

Joc