Hi Bill Newborns were usually baptised within a few days up to a week but some weren't for longer, much longer in some cases Baptists prefer adult baptism for example Some infants who were not expected to survive were privately baptised at home, later being received into the church Listing of a father would be the father, I have never seen a godfather recorded in place of the father if thats what you allude to In the main birth records were not kept, baptisms were, much would depend upon the person recording the event, some entered a birth date as well, others didn't There will certainly be some who were never baptised but also some that were and the record doesn't survive or is wrongly recorded Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 07/04/2016 14:54, Bill Snipes via wrote: > I'd like to ask a couple of questions concerning research in the 15 > and 16th centuries. In those days, were newborns Christened right > away, or could Christening/Baptism be put off for several years? > Also, when listing a father on a Parish document, could they be > referring to the godfather? And, is it likely that children were > born, but for some reason birth records were not kept? Bill > Snipe/Snyppe --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus