FYI - this book is a/v for download on www.gutenberg.org if anyone wants a longer look at it. Adrian -----Original Message----- From: angus-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:angus-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Adrian B Sent: Tue 21 July 2009 11:36 To: IPollands@aol.com; angus@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ANGUS] Where were Scots baptisms held? I like that - clearly not something that happened everywhere, judging by the days of the week my relatives were christened, but obviously something that JM Barrie reckoned could have happened, somewhere, sometime. Adrian _____ From: IPollands@aol.com [mailto:IPollands@aol.com] Sent: Mon 20 July 2009 22:55 To: abruce@madasafish.com; angus@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [ANGUS] Where were Scots baptisms held? In a message dated 7/20/2009 12:31:53 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, abruce@madasafish.com writes: Where were Scots baptisms held? Particularly those in Church of Scotland, 1780s? Once upon a time I would have assumed "in the Church" but since I eventually found out that marriages weren't (far too frivolous, I think a lister implied), maybe I shouldn't assume. -------------------------- This isn't exactly a firm answer to your question, but I was reminded of a story told in Sir J. M. Barrie's "Auld Licht Idylls" (published ca 1913) where he discusses the christenings held in his fictional town of Thrums (supposedly based on his own home town of Kirriemuir). I quote: "How the minister would have borne himself in the event of a member of his congregation's wanting the baptism to take place at home it is not easy to say; but I shudder to think of the public prayers for the parents that would certainly have followed. The child was carried to the kirk through rain, or snow, or sleet, or wind, the father took his seat alone in the front pew, under the minister's eye, and the service was prolonged far on into the afternoon." Barrie goes on to tell how they vied to have their children christened as soon as possible. "Among the wives she was esteemed a poor body whose infant did not see the inside of the kirk within a fortnight of its birth. ...That was a good and creditable birth which took place early in the week, thus allowing time for suitable christening preparations; while to be born on a Friday or a Saturday was to humiliate your parents, besides being an extremely ominous beginning for yourself." He then tells the story of an elder's wife who gave birth at 9:45 on a Saturday night, and the child was presented for baptism the next day. "Briefly it amounted to this: that a bairn born within two hours of midnight on Saturday could not have been ready for christening at the kirk next day without the breaking of the Sabbath." Unfortunately for this family, a neighborhood busy-body had spied on them when seeing lights on after midnight, and testified against them, and the father ended up tendering his resignation of church office. Irene, in Michigan _____ What's for dinner tonight? Find quick and <http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?ncid=emlcntusfood00000008> easy dinner ideas for any occasion. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ANGUS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message