baptism registers

[LizzieL]

Since 1813, the C of E baptism register column headings were
When baptised, Child's Christian Name, Parents names (Christian / Surname), Abode, Quality, trade or profession, By whom the ceremony was performed.
Whose Abode and Occupation should be inserted in the baptism record. I can't see it stated in the several pages of information at the beginning of the register. Obviously the family abode and the father's occupation - or is it? And is it the abode and occupation at the time the child is born or when brought for baptism which could be several years later?
I have just found a baptism (1851) of a 20 year old male, whose baptism record says abode Rumburgh (Suffolk) and occupation - baker. His parents are named as Martha and Samuel (uncommon surname). However no Samuel with that surname ever resided in Rumburgh, let alone one working as a baker. Invented father - maybe ?? No the child was quite legitimate, His parents were indeed Samuel and Martha and he was born in Suffolk but some way from Rumburgh. He was orphaned young, Samuel died when he was four and Martha when he was five.
The young man was getting baptised shortly before his marriage. Rumburgh was his abode at the time of baptism and baker was his occupation not his late father's.
I have only seen the actual record since Suffolk register images were on line a few days ago, but had I seen iit years ago before I pieced together his history through census and marriage records, I would have been chasing around for a baker called Samuel in Rumburgh.
Presumably there was a misunderstanding about whose occupation when the vicar asked the question.

[Dave Francis]

Hi

You are obviously referring to:

Cornelius, son of Samuel and Martha Ingate baptised on 29 June 1851 at Rumburgh by S P Downing, Curate.

The date might be significant. If you go back to very beginning of the register you will see that Revd. Samuel Penrose Downing didn't become the curate until 1851 and that Cornelius was one of his first few baptisms.

It's not impossible that Reverend Downing made a beginner's mistake when recording Cornelius's details! He merely misunderstood what was supposed to be recorded in the register in that particular situation.

Dave

[LizzieL]

Yes, that's the one. Good point about the possibility of Rev Downing being a bit inexperienced in record keeping or asking the question clearly about father's occupation

[Dave Francis]

Properly phrasing the question is indeed another important point. I have a couple of post-1837 marriage records where the groom's father was deceased but nevertheless was recorded with an occupation. That's bound to happen if the Curate simply asks ".... and your father's name and occupation?".

[Dave Francis]

Yes, that's the one. Good point about the possibility of Rev Downing being a bit inexperienced in record keeping or asking the question clearly about father's occupation

.... and the 1851 Census says that Samuel P Downing was only 26 years old at the time. Maybe his first curacy?

[Jebber]

It needn’t necessarily be the Curate filling inthe Parish Register, it was often left to the Parish Clerk, sometimes from loose notes at a later date. I have come across many instances of errors in the registers.

[MollyC]

In two churches in industrial towns I have found a large number of baptisms on one day - with mistakes - when they were obviously trying to gather in the unbaptised from the parish, without keeping accurate details to be copied into the register later.  In one case there was a visiting minister from another parish. He managed to head one page with his own church name, not the one where he was officiating, the pages on either side being correct.

My particular query was a girl baptised at the age of ten, but her date of birth in the margin included the current year, making her appear to be infant, and not matching her birth record, census returns nor her marriage 11 years later.

[Andrew Tarr]

Properly phrasing the question is indeed another important point. I have a couple of post-1837 marriage records where the groom's father was deceased but nevertheless was recorded with an occupation.

I thought it was pretty normal for a deceased father's occupation to be recorded - just as it was pretty normal for the father to be deceased - tho that fact was not always recorded.  Iit was also 'normal' for women to be presumed to have no profession as such, tho some could have rank.

[Jebber]

Properly phrasing the question is indeed another important point. I have a couple of post-1837 marriage records where the groom's father was deceased but nevertheless was recorded with an occupation.

I thought it was pretty normal for a deceased father's occupation to be recorded - just as it was pretty normal for the father to be deceased - tho that fact was not always recorded.  Iit was also 'normal' for women to be presumed to have no profession as such, tho some could have rank.

There are all sorts of anomalies in PRs. Things like adult Baptisms with full parental information regardless if the parents are alive or dead. Usually prior to marriage if there is uncertainty if they were baptised as infants.

I have two very unusual examples in my husband’s family, two adult sisters baptised at different times several years after their marriages. There’s no apparent reason why they were baptised at that time, the baptisms were in their married names but the parent names and occupation is correct as at the time of their births.