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  1. #1
    NickM
    Guest

    Default Getting paid for baptism ?

    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 ?

  2. #2
    Reputation beyond repute
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Kent
    Posts
    16,792

    Default

    What your friend said isn't far from the truth. See

    https://groups.google.com/group/soc.g...761169beff11a0

    Note also the reference to the book that may interest your friend.

  3. #3
    NickM
    Guest

    Default

    Wow ! 160 baptisms for one family ! Thanks for that

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