Marriage & christening on same day

[Stewart R]

My 5x G/Grandfather John Newt was baptised on 5th Feb 1745 (St. Teath Cornwall) and the record shows him to be a base child. I don't think, however he was an infant at the time as he appears to get married about 10 years later. My curiosity isn't about his marriage, but moreover his mother, who looks to have got married at the same time & place as the baptism of her son.

I'm sort of guessing the delay in baptism was because of him being illegitimate and a source of scandal, but on the same day as his mothers wedding! Was this sort of scenario common?

Regards

Stewart

[aghadowey]

I don't know much about Cornish customs but possibly mother's new husband was a church-goer or the couple both didn't usually attend church but the minister marrying the couple offered to baptise the child at the same time.

[Wexflyer]

2F1 Special!

[StevenG]

I've seen this quite a lot in my study of Bedfordshire registers.

[Stewart R]

Thankyou for your replies.

I guess in those days & the lack of red tape it was just more convenient to .....err! "bulk buy" the vicars services. On another line of my family, 3 daughters with over 10 year between them were all baptised at the same time. I've also had someone being baptised, presumably on his death bed, & being buried the same day.

Regards

Stewart

[aghadowey]

Just the other day my younger sister, after meeting up with 2 cousins, asked when I was baptised. I told her when and the whole story about it which was connected to her baptism (age at the same time as two younger cousins (age 3 and 1).

Here is Ireland I know of a mass baptism of about 10 children (can't remember exact number) at the time their parents finally got married.

[Norfolkman47]

There is at least one example of this from Norfolk in the 1860s.

A couple of my ancestors had two illegitimate daughters together, registered in the civil birth register with their mother's maiden surname. A couple of years later the couple were married and the daughters were baptised on the wedding day under the father's surname. I presume the marriage was solemnized before the baptisms took place.

[Marmalady]

In my husband's family there is a child born 2 Dec 1834
The parents get married 25 Dec 1834
The child is baptised 28 Dec 1834 under his mother's maiden name, not her new married name

[coombs]

It also shows that baptisms are not always indicative of a DOB, sometimes their age may be listed as "Aged 9 years" but not always, and it is easy to assume they were an infant and discard them as they were baptised "too close" to marrying.