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Archiver > INDIA > 1999-08 > 0933872847


From: "Stone.s451" <>
Subject: Re:Collective Sibling Baptisms
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 18:07:27 +0100


Dear all,

Not just in India, I know of two siblings in my family that were
baptized together age 11 months and 2 &1/2 years with several other
children from other families. This was on Christmas day!!!! in 1859,
England. It seemed quite a common practice in the English records I was
reading. I don't know why it happened. The baptisms only happened every
three weeks though, with up to seven or eight children from various
families being baptized at once.

Only a guess: maybe parents had to have their children baptized
before the parish would give them help, i.e.. poor relief. Or, maybe
older children had it done to get into a parish school and the parents
decided to get the other children done at the same time.

Tamsin

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