Why would a child be baptised twice?

[ZED]

Hi All ~

I'm researching the family of Henry Fletcher Shaw (b.1798) and his wife Catherine nee Sutton (b.1799) living in Everton. The couple were married in 1819, and Henry Fletcher Shaw was a plasterer. Their eldest son, William Henry Fletcher Shaw b.1820 was transported to Australia (as a convict) in 1838.

I'm puzzled by the fact that one of their daughters, Alice b.1838, was baptised on 16 Jan 1839 at St Peter's (info from Family Search website) ... and then again on 2 Jan 1848 at St Augustine's (info from Lancs online parish clerks) .

Incidentally, Alice was baptised with her sister Ellen on this second occasion.

Does anyone have any idea as to why this child may have been baptised twice?

(Actually, having just typed that, I'm wondering whether the explanation might be that these were two different girls ... the 2nd one being named 'Alice' after the 1st one, who had died).

Bestest,
Paula.

[MaryA]

The last explanation is the most likely, it often happened that another child was named after one who had died earlier.

Officially a person shouldn't be baptised twice, which is why sometimes if in the event of an emergency a baptism may have taken place by, say, a midwife, then the child might later have a ceremony to be received into the church but not a baptism as such.

[dickiesam]

Following up on MaryA's explanation there are only two Liverpool deaths for Alice:
Deaths Jun 1842 - SHAW, Alice - Liverpool - 20 - 272. And...
Deaths Mar 1847 - Shaw, Alice - Liverpool - 20 - 485.

While there are a number of Alice births, this one looks promising in view of the 1847 death: Births Sep 1847 - Shaw - Alice - Liverpool - 20 - 396.

Dickiesam

[graleystives]

I have a similar reusing of a name in my family,
Mary, died age 2 in 1868. Then a few months later the arrival of Mary Ann.
This was the mother's name and I think it was especially common where the deceased child had a "family name" as they would want it to carry on.
My maternal GRandfathers family had a lot of Freddies and his grandparents had a "Freddy", then a "Freddie" after the first Freddy's death. Each of their children (including Freddie) went on to have a Freddie one of which was my Grandfather.

[ZED]

Thanks MaryA ... that's useful info to know

Thank you also dickiesam for the deaths info. Yes, the 1847 date will be the birth as she was Christened in January 1848.

Wow grayleystives, all those Freddies must be confusing! They certainly liked to keep certain names going in The Good Old Days ... my family tree is blessed with a multitude of Margarets.

Bestest,
Paula.

[Nannatee]

My dad `s line in 4 generations had a samuel and thomas in each family.very confusing !!

[Blue70]

I have six consecutive generations of ancestors called William Mylchreest in the Isle Of Man.

Blue

[northmeols]

my grand father had 6 siblings william stephen john stephen elsie thomas and john only william elsie and thomas survived