Thanks to everyone who replied. In the interests of brevity I omitted to mention that all names are from the IGI and are shown as christenings, none are shown as births. If they were to be births followed by christenings, you'd have to ask: (1) why the long delay between birth and christening - minimum 1 year, maximum 4 years (2) why not have Alexander christened at the same time as Allan - he'd be 19 months old by then etc. I have already come across children with the same first name, each called after a different person (eg father's father and mother's father both called Robert), but 4 in the one family? That's stretching coincidence a bit far, don't you think? For the same reason, transcription error can probably be discounted. I accept that mortality rates were high, and the gaps between the children's births, particularly the first three, suggest there may have been difficulties. But after losing a couple of children you'd think the parents might switch to using different names! I will examine the film in due course (it takes a while for them to wend their way from Salt Lake City to the far-flung colonies) unless SKS on the list can get to it sooner - any volunteers? <grin> Until then the puzzle remains unsolved. Again, many thanks Jim in stifling West Aus 39 degrees C again today, too hot for golf ----- Original Message ----- From: "Moira Ledger" <moira@maledger.fsnet.co.uk> To: <SCT-RENFREW-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2003 7:02 PM Subject: Re: [Renfrew] Different Christening Dates on IGI > Hi jim, > probably a combination of > a) children who died > b) birth date and christening date - not always correctly identified as such > c) transcription error including wrong dates, wrong name, wrong place or > even wrong family > d) anecdotally families named more than one living child with the same > name - I am considering whether I have just discovered the first example of > this in my family though I'll be honest I am dubious. > Moira > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jim Baird" <jbaird@hotmail.com> > To: <SCT-RENFREW-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2003 8:44 AM > Subject: [Renfrew] Different Christening Dates on IGI > > > > I hope one of our resident experts can answer this one: > > > > I've been researching the children of John BARR and Bethia ALLEN in Abbey > > (Paisley). > > > > Of 5 children's names recorded, 4 are shown twice with different > christening > > dates viz. > > > > John 19 JUN 1768 > > > > > > James 24 MAY 1772 > > James 14 JUL 1773 > > > > Allan 18 DEC 1777 > > Allan 27 JAN 1782 > > > > Alexander 03 MAY 1780 > > Alexander 06 SEP 1784 > > > > Ann 16 NOV 1786 > > Ann 18 DEC 1788 > > > > My first thought was that the children had died young and the names were > > re-used, but that suggests a mortality rate that is terribly high. > > > > Does anyone have another logical explanation, please? > > > > All the best > > Jim in sweltering Western Australia, > > the state with the climate that Queensland thinks it has! > > > > > > ==== SCT-RENFREW Mailing List ==== > > ********************************************************************** > > To search the archived lists, including this list go to > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/search.html > > > > > > ______________________________