Adult baptisms?

[JenniG]

I've tracked my GGGM Sarah Cranfield as having been born in Little Thurlow, Suffolk, in approximately 1813 from census records although I can't trace her birth.

I can find a Rebecca Cranfield still in Little Thurlow, born in approx 1811, in the 1871 census.

Again, I can't find a birth record for her.

However, I have found baptism records for a Sarah and Rebecca Cranfield at Little Thurlow in 1829 and 1831 respectively.  If it's the right people, I know their parents' names and that they're presumably sisters.

However, this means they were not baptised as children.  I've checked and the church had been there for about 600 years, so it's not as if there was nowhere to baptise them as babies!  Was it quite common for older children and adults to be baptised?

The only possible marriage certificate I can find for their parents dates to 1827 - was it that the girls could not be baptised because their parents weren't married?  Was there a change in church rules?

The latter question arises because their possible mother was not baptised until 1825 (unless it's another sister) and no father is named on her baptism certificate.

Little Thurlow is a very small village so the likelihood of more than one person having the same name is quite small unless closely related and since there's only one Cranfield in the village in 1871, I doubt they were a large local family!

Also, how do I find out where the original parish records are now held?  If these baptismal records are on the Familysearch IGI, does this mean all that parish's records are on there so if a record's not on there, it doesn't exist?

Sorry to ask so many questions, but I've reached that foggy no-go area!

[casalguidi]

Hi JenniG

If a person was older than an infant when baptised, it does often (though not always) indicate this on the parish register.  Another good reason to always check the original source.

Check with the Suffolk Record Office as to the whereabouts (or copies) of the original registers.

http://www.suffolkcc.gov.uk/sro/index.html

It may be that the registers have been filmed by the LDS.  You can check the library catalogue on familysearch and then order the appropriate film to view at your nearest LDS Family History Centre.  You can also find their locations on familysearch.

It might be worth bearing in mind that they could have been nonconformist also so it might be worthwhile checking the whereabouts of any appropriate records for baptists etc. also.

Many, many children were baptised to single mothers but if the mother wasn't baptised herself then that could be the answer as to regards the children not being baptised if that is the case.

It would be a good idea to search all the census of Little Thurlow back to 1841 if you haven't done so already.  You might find an answer or two there.

That marriage you have found for 1827 - another thought is that perhaps it could relate to a brother or a second marriage of the father?

I think that a search of the original baptism, marriage and burial records for the parish may answer some of your query at least.

The IGI is an index ie. a finding aid and if treated as such can be a very useful tool.  It is not complete nor is there any particular set pattern as to which parishes they have indexed and which they haven't.  They only put the bare facts in their index - there may be much more in the original register.

Best wishes

Caalguidi

[petere]

Jenni,
The parish records for Little Thurlow should be with the Suffolk County Record Office. This is either in Gatacre Road Ipswich (01473 264541  ?) or Raingate Street, Bury St Edmunds ( 01284 763141  ?). A phone call should enable you to find out which of these hold the records. The phone numbers were ok but could now be out of date. Try them.

The parish records will be on fiche now but some years ago I went to Huntingdon CRO and was allowed to look through the original parish register for one parish. It was a huge book with vellum type pages and went back to the 1600s. It was lovely to handle such an old document but I'm sure that I should not really have been allowed to, at least not without gloves.

Peter E

[Rick]

Jenni

A volunteer on the Suffolk Surnames List offers lookups from the Little Thurlow parish registers.

http://fp.suffolksurnames.plus.com/

Rick

[Sylviaann]

Just to put my spoke in.

I have a family baprised late because they were the mothers children and born under another name so you could look for a baptism under the mothers maiden name.

I also have a family baptised twice once in the Parish church and later as non-conformists.

Sorry to make it more confusing.

Sylviaann