Hi Cara, In regard to R.C. Baptisms....I can only add, from my experience, looking at microfilm of handwritten Church Registers, there are a scarce few children with more than one given name. I also wonder where all the extra names came from. I don't see "middle names" in the written records or the indexes that I look at. Catholics have a Sacrament called Confirmation (usually when a child is a teen). At this ceremony, the child confirms and renews the promises/statements made for them by their sponsors, during Baptism, assuming that now, a teen would have the power of reason and can answer for his or herself. The Confirmation Candidate takes a new "Baptism" name (we call it a Confirmation name). So I also wonder, how or why an Anthony is called Michael, after his father, who was also Baptized Anthony, but also known as Michael! And when I speak to people in Ireland about their forebearers, I always have to remember to ask, is that their maiden or married name? In our time, in my country, a person can't get married in the "Official" R.C. Church/Community, or Sponsor (stand up) for a child in Baptism without having been Confirmed, themselves. I think that probably, that was true a century ago as well. Not sure, though, except that our modern customs are a reflection on our past customs, for the most part. The change in custom seems to become less strict, rather than more stringent. ie: Limbo, the 24 hr. rule for Communion, fasting from meat on Fridays, touching a host, etc. Anyway, to add fuel to the fire, I wonder if one of the names in the string could be a Confirmation name. So there, Peggy In a message dated 2/15/2009 3:11:01 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes: So the child when baptised at the Church Service ............ was this where the RC people gave their children more names ???? just thought I might ask that as I see a child can be registered Patrick Toole and ends up when he is located in the church parish register as Patrick Joseph John Michael Toole etc .......... **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1218822736x1201267884/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072%26hmpgID=62%26bcd=fe bemailfooterNO62)

I was raised "high" Episcopalian, which my father, a Catholic deserter, used to say "was as close as you could get to Catholic and still not have Christ on the cross." From my mother's perspective it was as close as she could get to COI & COE, since the church in the US was not called Anglican. Baptism usually took place just after birth, but in my case I wasn't baptized until I was 5 yrs. old, and my two younger sisters were baptized at the same time. Then when I turned 12, I went through "Confirmation", which was typical for that age, and the same thing was done in the Catholic church across the street from our church....after taking classes for 10 weeks we were all hauled by bus into Denver, where the service took place in the Episcopal cathedral, and we took our first communion. My names did not change with either service; I was given a first and middle name at birth, the same was true for my mother. As a child I was told my first name was for my grandmother, and my middle name came from a dear friend of my mother. I know things have changed in the Episcopal church, because when I tried to get married in the church for my second marriage, I was told they no longer married divorcees. By that time (21 yrs ago) we also had an Anglican church in Denver, and they told me the same thing. Of course, I questioned this based on the history of Protestantism but didn't get anywhere. So, when I called the Catholic church to see what they would say (my 2nd husband is Catholic), I was stunned that they said it was not a problem; they would simply annul the first marriage (even though it produced 4 children), we would have to wait 6 months, and give the Catholics $1000, and they would marry us! We ended up getting married in a Methodist church down the street from where we lived. I guess all of this is just to say there are no rules written in stone, and it seems rules are fluid and change with the times. hugs, m Mary Villalba AZTEC Communications, LLC (303) 290-8415 Tele Distinguished Past Governor, Rocky Mountain District Kiwanis International "A global organization of volunteers, dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time."

Peggy I was not referring to the first entry in the Parish register but what was put on An actual registration that I have applied and paid for even the name changed when buried..( First name )......... so the Irish if they desired to be found certainly make it hard by adding in some cutesy things along the way. Child was put in the parish register as one name and had along the way many more added to them and I based my thoughts on this .............I also add that I only based them on the 1800-1900era. Although what you are all teaching me is of interest and it was what they did way back in GGGGgrandma's and grandfathers days that is of interest to me really. Gee Peggy you know what its like when the Arklow people close ranks on you, there are more nicknames of our rellies there than we will ever decipher or add the correct name to anyway Petal. More input for the years 1800-1900 would be of interest and intrigue. By the way I forgot to say that mostly the man married in the wifes parish...........not his so he would have brought with him his own witness wouldnt he? Cheers Cara