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Archiver > LANCSGEN > 2011-02 > 1298471190
From:
Subject: Re: [LAN] Infant baptism in a Baptist church?
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:26:30 -0600 (CST)
References: <62764.209.225.110.213.1298388913.squirrel@wm.wi.net><1711B2E9B19B49B6836D25D291692E1D@JIM>
In-Reply-To: <1711B2E9B19B49B6836D25D291692E1D@JIM>
Thank you, Jim, for another wonderful lesson in Lancashire history!
Yes, it's probably the case that they were welcomed into the congregation
as infants. I was organist at a Baptist church in Massachusetts many
years ago, and I remember that there was a brief spoken rite for
welcoming/commitment that they used. I don't know what they called it, or
whether it was entered into the church books.
Marilyn
> Hi, Marilyn,
>
> There is an excellent guide to Baptists and their records -
> "My Ancestors were Baptists" by G.R. Breed pub by Society of Genealogists.
> 3rd Edition (1995) (ISBN 0 946789 84 3)
>
> In the notes on Births it states -
>
> ... Church of England parish registers relate to infant baptisms, a
> practice
> conscientiously disfavoured by Baptists. ... However, where the persons
> were of such status as to need to protect property rights, the occasional
> services of the Church of England were often resorted to, for security
> reasons, without too much hurt of conscience. ... it is sometimes
> difficult to divide what people were willing to do for the sake of the law
> from what they did out of choice. ... Early legislation in 1693 and 1700
> to
> combat this injustice required Dissenters' births to be reported to the
> incumbent either to be added to his register, or entered in a separate
> book.
> Unfortunately these laws were not uniformly effective."
> [endquote]
>
> That shows that Baptists did not practice infant baptism within their
> community, but that is not the question you are asking. You are referring
> to an entry in a register of Islington Particular Baptist Church in
> Blackburn. The above book has lists of Baptist registers held in various
> places. The list for the Society of Genealogists includes -
>
> BLACKBURN, Islington (Part. Bapt) Z 1786 - 1837, B 1764 - 1837 [Mfc]
>
> Z indicates that this is a Birth Register, and B is a Burial Register.
> Mfc
> indicates that it is a microfiche copy.
>
> The microfiche copy might be a photographic copy of the original register
> that was deposited with the Registration Commissioners ca 1838 following
> the
> establishment of civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths. OR
> it
> might be a transcription prepared by the Lancashire Family History &
> Heraldry Society (LFHHS) -
>
> Blackburn Islington Particular Bapt Ch Bap 1772 - 1837; Chapel Street Cong
> Ch Bap 1777 - 1837 Ref B30-39
>
> This suggests that there are two copies (versions) of the registers of
> this
> chapel, with one being a partial copy of the other, probably prepared for
> sending to the Commissioners.
>
> I think you need to check your source of the information you have, and to
> see if there is an explanation there. It is unlikely that the original
> will
> have recorded an infant baptism, but may have included a date when the
> child
> was welcomed into the Islington congregation. Such a date may have been
> mistaken for a Baptism date by a transcriber.
>
> I hope this helps
>
> Jim Lancaster (Bury, Lancs.)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 3:35 PM
> Subject: [LAN] Infant baptism in a Baptist church?
>
>
>
>
>
> :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-:
>
> PLEASE and THANK YOU -- Don't cost a thing and mean so much.
>
> :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-:
>
>
>
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