Genealogy Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Boards

Quick Search

Single word search

Tools

Findmypast DNA Banner

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Could my great grandfather be christened twice?

Login to Add Reply Watch This
ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

POSITIVE Pauline

POSITIVE Pauline Report 5 Sep 2005 21:54

Hi My great grandfather was called John Salmon BENNETT, born in Bodmin, Cornwall 31st May 1859, and christened there 16 Jun 1859 (IGI records but I have double checked against Free BMD, and his birth is there - Births Jun 1859 BENNETT John Salmon Bodmin 5c 121 ). However, as I have a lot of ancestors in the Bodmin area, I thought I would invest in the Methodist christenings as well. On there, there is a christening in the Bible Christian Chapel in Bodmin 3rd Jan 1860. Defintely the same person as the parents are correct - William and Mary Ann BENNETT (nee SALMON), plus it gives William's occupation as a tailor. Now I'm really confused as to which is correct. Any thoughts out there? Pauline

The Bag

The Bag Report 5 Sep 2005 22:04

didn't have a first born that died did they? maybe called a second one by the same name ( not unusual) - although it is a bit quick! Jess

POSITIVE Pauline

POSITIVE Pauline Report 5 Sep 2005 22:29

Hi Jess I've several instances of children dieing and the next one of the right sex being named the same. I don't beleive this to be the case here though, although I suppose I shouldn't rule it out totaly. It just seems a bit odd though.

Anne

Anne Report 5 Sep 2005 22:37

Have you checked the actual parish record? What if he was a sickly baby and not expected to live. They might have had him baptised privately by the local vicar - this is often shown in the records by a P in the margin, or it actually says private. Then the child lives, and they are really methodists, so they have him 'done properly'! Anne

Sue

Sue Report 5 Sep 2005 23:09

I have one individual who has been baptised twice, one is listed as privatley and the other is listed as publicly (or however you spell it) 3 weeks later. This was given to me by a transcriber of the Society of Genealogists and they believe that maybe the child was sick and that was why baptised privately as they thought he might die. The child did in fact die 8 months later Regards Sue

Kate

Kate Report 5 Sep 2005 23:19

If there is no second birth entry in the GRO indexes, then it could well be that he had two christenings - perhaps his parents' families belonged to different churches? But if you search for a death in his name in the GRO indexes between the two christening dates and find nothing, I would say that clinches it. Kate.