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Archiver > ESSEX-UK > 2002-03 > 1016024323


From: "John Henley" <>
Subject: Re: "Received into Congregation"
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002 12:58:43 -0000
References: <000001c1c9b8$399906a0$064e063e@comp1> <3C8DFD79.730E7653@primus.com.au>


Hi Rosemary,
----- Original Message ----- From: "Rosemary Martin"
<>
> Please can anyone explain to me why babies would be both baptised &
> "received into the Congregation" later?
The full phrase in the opening of the Public Baptism service in the Book of
Common Prayer is "received into the Christ's holy Church" and that in the
words immediately following the Baptism "We receive this child into the
congregation of Christ's flock"
The latter phrase is also used when the child is brought to church following
upon private baptism.
The register annotation you have found is based on the latter, though
"Received into the Church" or "Received" is the more usual.
The Private Baptism of a child at home because of illness and gloomy
prognosis consisted of the bare words and act of Baptism with one short
prayer of thanksgiving - if the child lived, the book directed the child be
brought to church and the missing prayers and readings be supplied .
Both the Baptism and the Reception were meant to be recorded in the
Register.
Often there is no marginal annotation at all, which accounts for most of the
apparent repetitions of Baptism which sometimes occur in registers.
>Does this refer to a Private baptism of a sickly infant followed by a
Public ceremony?
Yes.

HTH
Cheers

John Henley
(still catching up on masses of emails )
using Archive CDs - see
http://www.archivecdbooks.org
and researching (and not finding much time for - but always very glad to
hear of any)
HENLEY, PARKER, PRENTICE, SECKER, RAPER, DURDEN
[IN London/Middx./Essex/Suffolk]
ROLFE, (O)RAFFERTY, EVANS, PARSONS, SYMONDS [IN Berks/Hants/Wilts]
HILL [IN Staffs/Cambs/Berks]

>I have come across PR
> entries in other places which refer to both a 'Private' & a 'Public'
baptism
> but those terms are not used in this register. Two examples are:
> High Roding
> Baptisms 1804
> Benjamin son of James & Ann SMITH , bapt 3rd Aug 22nd, received into the
> Congregation Sept 9th 1804
> James son of James & Ann SMITH, bapt April 15th 1803, received into
> Congregation 16th Sept 1804
>
> TIA
> Rosemary
> in Western Australia


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