Baptism of the Dead

[tonymitch]

Has anyone any information about the practice of baptising dead infants?

The Baptism Register (as transcribed) for Pendeen for the year 1882 has the following

18 Mar Ethel d. of Edwin Jolbort (Tradesman) & Mary Jane Noake of Trewellard, Private, Dead
29 Mar Nannie Leggo d. of [None given] (Miner) & Elizabeth Jane Hosking of Boscaswell, Private, Dead

and for 1883

25 Jul Emily Ann d. of Frederick (Miner) & Elizabeth Jane Whitte[?] of Boscaswell, Private, child dead.

Baptism of the dead is not a practice usually found in any mainstream Western Church with the exception of the LDS (Mormon). I believe it is expressly forbidden in most churches.

Obviously, it took place in Penden in the 19th Century. Is this unususal/has anyone noticed it in any other parish?

As a matter of interest, I haven't found any record of the burial of Nannie Leggo but I have only looked in West Penwith Resources as yet.

Tony M

[londoner]

Could it be that the infants were alive but that their poor mamas had died in childbirth? (apart from the last of course)
Might be able to ascertain from next census.

Mary Jane Noake alive and well in 1891 - so much for that idea!

[HeatherC]

Curiouser and curiouser

Burials Pendeen
8 January 1883
Nanny Leggoe HOSKING
Age 1
Of Boscaswell

The following for Emily Ann who was baptised 25 July 1883 could be correct (her age at burial) as she may not have been baptised soon after birth. This could have been a case of an urgent call for her baptism as she was taken seriously ill and the parents warned to prepare for the worst.

Burial Pendeen
28 July 1883
Emily Ann Whitta
Age 1
Of Boscaswell

Update......... but perhaps not quite so curious after all!

There is every probability that the vicar called back on the family later (after the child had died) and that is when his note of "dead" was added to the register.

Best regards
HeatherC

[tonymitch]

Further thought.....'Emergeny Baptisms' would be sought if the child were seriously ill and these would be 'Private'. Doesn't answer the question of use of the word 'Dead' though. I would have thought, especially concerning the entry for 1883, that 'child dead' would have been 'child died'.

Further thought following on from Heather's comment......Nannie Leggo (HOSKING?) was baptised in March, yet wasn't burrried until Jan the following year..... so she wasn't dead at the time of baptism, neither did she die before or just after the register was written.

I didn't find her in my searches as I was looking for Leggo. I assumed 'my' child was named 'Leggo' after the father, yet she is burried under the name of the mother......no mention of 'Base Child' or Illegitimate which is again strange. I note that there are a couple of 'Illegtimates' in the record, so why not on this one?


In 1881 we also have
21 May Anna Belle d. of Nicholas (Miner) & Margaret Ann Grenfell of Carnyorth, Private, Dead
28 May Laura d. of Thomas Rodda (Miner) & Mary Jane Walls of Carnyorth, Died next week, Pvte

And in 1883
25 Jul Emily Ann d. of Frederick (Miner) & Elizabeth Jane Whitte[?] of Boscaswell, Private, child dead.

As Alice said, curiouser and curiouser.

[HeatherC]

Hello again

I had the parish register checked on this one and Nannie was baptised as Nannie Leggo Hosking, no fathers name given, which meant none was recorded/entry left blank at the time in the register (have seen that before when I have been transcribing other registers for Cornwall, Dorset, Essex and Durham, even though the mother is married...... Have even seen where a bride or grooms name has been omitted from a marriage entry!)

Nannie's fathers occupation was recorded, which was miner, but then yes, she may still have been of illegitimate birth. My husbands great grandfathers parents were not married and all the childrens baptisms in Pendeen are recorded with the name of Carbis, the fathers surname, and no mention of illegitimate.

Your point "she wasn't dead at the time of baptism, neither did she die before or just after the register was written." is correct, but these registers were also used as a form of record/diary for the parish........ There is no record that Nannie was "brought to church" before her death, something which was done at a later time when a child received a private baptism and survived. The act of baptism having meant to be an occasion for the public (congregations) witness of childs entry into the church (flock/fold). Vicars or curates may then make notes in the register of baptisms that the child had died, which could be long after the baptism took place, so the child was dead before the "bringing to church".

Of course this could all just be a case of a little too much tasting of the communion wine and notes which should have only gone in the Bishops' Transcripts being recorded in the parish register ;D

It's one of those "I wish I had a time machine" mysteries which all go to making this such an interesting obsession

Best regards
HeatherC

[tonymitch]

Thanks Heather,

What you say seems more than reasonable to me....so no baptism of dead infants. I thoght it was strange.

What also is strange is...I have tried logging on to this thread for most of the day without success. It kept blanking out....everything else was viewable except this "Baptism of the Dead"......SPOOKY.

Tony M