Cara, Thank you for your comments on baptisms. I have included more info on one particular member of my family. My POOLE family were RC as almost all of the other members of the family were baptised and married in the Catholic church and had all there many children baptised RC. As most of my POOLE men were involved with the United Irishmen & Sinn Fein Volunteers it is possible Charles was away, busy or incarcerated at the time of his children's births which would delay the baptism. Charles POOLE was baptised St Mary's Pro Cathedral (RC) 10 April 1833. Charles POOLE and Charlotte SMITH/SMYTH married Parish Church of St Mary's 25 Dec 1854. Possible baptism of Charlotte 29 Sept 1870 St Michans (RC) Issue: Name, born, bap, Church, Address Maria, born 3 March 1856, bap 27 April 1856 St George (COI) Douglas Place, Temple Street Edward, born 16 June 1858, bap 7 July 1858 St Mary, Pro Cathedral (RC) Granby Place Charles Joseph, born 16 July 1862, bap 10 Aug 1862, St Mary (COI) 8 Denmark Place Joseph Simon, born 16 July 1863, bap 28 Oct 1870, St Michan (RC) Blessington Place Hester, born 28 July 1864, bap 28 Sept 1864 St. Mary (COI) Stafford Steet Frederick William, born 6 Sept 1866, bap 14 Nov 1866, St. Mary (COI) Abbey Street Patrick James, born 8 Sept 1867, bap 28 Oct 1870 St Michan (RC) Blessington Place Margaret Mary, born 22 Jan 1869, bap 22 July 1870, St Michan (RC) Blessington Street Mary Esther, born 29 Aug 1870, bap 28 Oct 1870, St. Michan (RC) Blessington Place Thomas, bap 17 Oct 1871 St Mary Pro Cathedral (RC) Gr Britain Street Maria Charlotte, born 6 Jan 1875, bap 18 Jan 1875, St. Mary, Pro Cathedral (RC) Chapel Lane Mary , born 28 March 1877, bap 22 April 1877, St. George (COI) Nerneys Court & same child baptised again RC. below... Mary Jane, born 28 March 1877, bap 9 May 1883, St Mary, Pro Cathedral (RC) Summer Place William John, born 28 Aug 1879, bap 8 Oct 1879 St. George (COI) Nerneys Court Charles was baptised COI but married in St. Marys Pro Cathedral (RC) Frederick William bap COI married RC Maria Charlotte born 1875 was buried 28 June 1877 William John born 1879 was buried 4 Feb 1880 Deaths of children doesn't seem to interfere with baptisms in those particular years. Marg >From the Beautiful British Columbia Cariboo Region, Canada ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cara" <cara_links@bigpond.com> I have read all these mails on baptism, and now as I gather some time, I can see none of you are any further ahead in solving what you see as a problem in why and how the baptisms occurred as such. I am assuming as I cannot recall that the Poole family are Church of Ireland or Quakers. In my case the Poole family is Quakers so forgive my assumption on your family. Church of Ireland did not allow a woman into the church whilst she was classed as unclean,( if you do not know what I meant when I say unclean write to me off list ) so therefore that had a bearing on how long before a mother could re-enter her church, every mother liked to be present when her child was baptised and in the case of the Church of Ireland baptism a child would be baptised at home in a private service, if sickly same, and if quite well, if everything went well at least a month after the childs birth. Children were baptised sometimes in groups of 3. 4 and more from the one family, not because they were forgotten but because of circumstances, because sometimes their work moved them around, and the child born in Co Wexford may have had a father who by the time he was found by a travelling clergyman, been working in Dublin, and then out the mother would trot, Jack, Jill and Jenny and they were done as a bulk lot. Farming communities were another that had the problem of getting away from work for a bapstism, and quite often the grandmother presented the child at the church ( RC) for baptism. Happened a lot in Rural areas. Now when the law changed in 1864 which was that every child had to be registered, have you considered little Johnny may have been registered but not necessarily baptised,or bapstised and not registered. Then you had the happy clergyman who stopped by and baptised little Johnny and on the clergymn's way home, on his horse after imbibing a wine or two, he lost the little scrap of paper with Johnnys baptism notes on it, then of course this scrap of paper if it did make it to the church, also, could be placed somewhere for safe keeping, if the parish man was not the one doing the placing in the parish register, but someone else, there is so many things that can happen to a piece of paper. ( I have an original of one of these pieces of papers). You of course have not even allowed for the child who was not at home on the day the priest or vicar called. Bit like the census ( he's not home mister) Now although this is brief synopsis tomorrow I will take the time to take down some examples to show you of all these things happening. Also I will add in what is expected to be found on certs and within a parish register. I am more confused because the facts have not been put in order of what, when why and how, and not enough information was added in, each mail, they should at least say, my family are CofI or RC as the person searching the archives cannot know this for future reference either. Each Religion had their own regulations ( for want of a better word) Cara