BAPTISMS IN NEWNHAM (Parish Records)

by JaneyH , Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Sunday, February 24, 2019, 17:40 (2132 days ago) @ Roselle

Hi Ros,

It's difficult to know why our ancestors chose to baptise/not baptise their children, when and where. It could be as simple as falling out of favour with a vicar or minister, or moving house and preferring a different church/chapel as it was nearer.

In my Forest of Dean family my grandfather (the eldest child) was baptised as an infant at Littledean Independent Chapel in 1908. His sister was similarly baptised shortly after she was born, in 1909. There then followed seven other children born between 1911 and 1921. The youngest was baptised as an infant in 1921 in Newnham parish church (CofE), then a week later the remaining six were all 'done' at Newnham as well.

For part of this time my great-grandfather was in the Army during WW1, but this would only have accounted for a small amount of the ten-year spell overall. Another possible reason was being short of money to pay the fees for baptism, I guess.