Hello all, Can anyone give me information about the RC and COI practices related to baptisms. I've been told that the RC practice was to baptize the child as soon after birth as possible. Is that true? Why would parents on occasion wait several months to have a child baptized (e.g., illness, distance from church, lack of money?)? Did the RC and COI practices differ? Here are some Dublin COI data for the children of Gardiner Curtis and Catherine Hawkins-Curtis (churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie). I include only the children for whom I have both birth and baptism dates. Church of Ireland baptisms bir 1848 Aug 22, bap Sep 27 (Thomas) bir 1850 Sep 26, bap Nov 6 (James William) bir 1853 Jan 9, bap Apr 1 (Catharine Maria) bir 1854 Aug 19, bap Oct 27 (William Joseph) bir 1857 Feb 6, bap Mar 18 (Susan) bir 1859 Apr 21, bap Aug 10 (Edward Henry) bir 1860 Nov 15, bap 1861 Jan 25 (Martha Elizabeth) This child was also baptized RC three days later on 1861 Jan 28. PJ

This puzzles me too PJ. I have baptisms from birthday up to 7 years after birth and some of these are in the same family, living in the same area so distance from the church shouldn't be an issue. Also, these families seem to be practicing RC's so they shouldn't have had to take catechism classes or whatever is required which would delay the baptism. In one family I wondered if they just forgot whether they had had the infant baptised as I have a child born in 1863 who was baptised in 1870 with a brother who was born in 1867. There had been 2 other children baptised in between those years. So it seems they just forgot. I also have numerous babies baptised in the RC and COI in the same month which puzzles me. Maybe some things we will never know for sure. Marg >From the Beautiful British Columbia Cariboo Region, Canada ----- Original Message ----- From: <pjsalis@hal-pc.org> Hello all, Can anyone give me information about the RC and COI practices related to baptisms. I've been told that the RC practice was to baptize the child as soon after birth as possible. Is that true? Why would parents on occasion wait several months to have a child baptized (e.g., illness, distance from church, lack of money?)? Did the RC and COI practices differ?

Margaret, I would suggest that your 1863 birth & 1870 baptism are of two different children. Same names, but I'd bet the first one died, & another was born & given that name. Hilda

Hi Hilda, Thanks for responding. But........ Nope........they were 2 different children. Joseph Simon and Patrick James Poole with siblings Hester and Frederick William born and baptised in between. Marg >From the Beautiful British Columbia Cariboo Region, Canada ----- Original Message ----- From: <hildanic@aol.com> Margaret, I would suggest that your 1863 birth & 1870 baptism are of two different children. Same names, but I'd bet the first one died, & another was born & given that name. Hilda