Two baptisms within 6 months

[JohnnyO]

Hi all, one of my Orrett relatives was born 23rd Dec 1880 and baptised 25th Dec at St Mary West Derby. There is also another baptism at St James West Derby on 1st May 1881.

Child name, parents names, father's occupation all identical.I thought initially that the child, Annie Orrett Dobson may have died at birth and they named the next daughter the same, but there is not enough elapsed time for that.

Any thoughts on why this occurred, is it because they moved parish maybe and wanted the child baptised in the new church?

[Bertieone]

John,

Typo, Dodson.

Perhaps the first baptism was a rush job and the baby wasn't expected to survive, the second was more of a celebration with friends and family when the baby was safe and well.

[Bertieone]

I wonder if this is Annie, published on her birthday,

Liverpool Mercury, 23 December, 1892.

Trinity College London,
Results of Local Examination, Liverpool.

[JohnnyO]

Thanks Bert, my 'Dobson' was a rush job typo

Could well be her in the newspaper extract, unusual name. You comments about the baptism makes sense, and I remember a similar answer to a similar question. I must remember that for next time

[MaryA]

That very likely is the answer, but it shouldn't happen unless the first was marked as such, perhaps "private" or some such and the second should have been a naming ceremony and welcoming into the parish, rather than christening/baptism. The register entry just may not make that clear.

[JohnnyO]

Aha, just revisited the first baptismal record. On the right hand side of the page, are the letters PB. Private Baptism maybe? Second baptism was in a different church, suppose they may have moved house or just decided to go to another church. Both were C of E.

[Bertieone]

John,

Private Baptism,

"When looking through a baptism register, you'll sometimes see a note saying that the child was privately baptised. This means the child wasn't baptised at Sunday service., usually because it was thought too weak to survive until then. ... A baptism in church uses a longer form of words"

As it happens,

25 December, 1880 was a Saturday, 1 May, 1881 was a Sunday.

[MaryA]

Well done, Bert seems to have resolved that query!

[JohnnyO]

Thanks both, problem solved