What is a 'Sponsor' on a baptism record?

[daj]

My mother has found a baptism record for my g.grandfather b 1892 in Burnopfield, Newcastle. This is the first English family member so these records are new to me.

Can anyone explain what a "sponsor" is? There are two...a Margaret Simpson and a Henry Ludk???. can't read the surname. Here is the certificate. http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/33488/baptism-leopold.jpg


My mother is adamant there is a polish connection which she was told from a young child, however no one else in the family recalls this.

Also, does anyone have access to the English Census details and could check on the spelling of Henry's surname.

thanks

[LesleyB]

Hi David
There is some info about CofE sponsors here:
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/lifeevents ... tionb.html
It seems these days a sponsor is what an adult being baptised has, whereas an infant has godparents. On some other web sites it seems the terms are a little more interchangeable.

re. English census data - as you are in Glasgow you can access the English census data on Ancestry for free at any public library.

Best wishes
Lesley

[paddyscar]

Hi David:

In the Roman Catholic Church sponsors are those, sometimes referred to as godparents, bring the child to the Church and confirm their wish, along with the parents to have the child baptised; to be admitted to the Church and to assist in the child's upbringing in the Roman Catholic faith.

It's been a long time since I attended a Confirmation, but Sponsors also accompanied the person being confirmed, but I don't know if that is still the practice.

Henry's name appears to be Ludkin, of which there are many in Ancestry http://search.ancestry.co.uk

Leopold Fiddeman also appears in Ancestry along with a great number of Fiddaman, Fidamen, Fideman variations. Some conntecting names include Todnar, Revell and Demmerke.

Frances

P.S. Circa 1950 R.C. Glasgow certificate denotes sponsor, as do mid-1970s Canadian R.C. certificates

[Currie]

Hello David,

Seeing you haven’t delved into English records before I thought I’d let you know that Leopold’s birth is also on the index at FreeBMD http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

Births Sep 1892
Fiddaman Leopold Lanchester 10a315

If you search there for fidd*m*n in the district of Lanchester you’ll also find the Mable mentioned on the card and over 30 other BDM events. There’s an 1891 marriage of a James John Fiddaman, click the page number and the spouse Jane Ludkin has to be his.

Because on the 1911 census James and Jane Fiddiman, both aged 43, Leopold age 18, and Matilda (presumably a transcription problem) age 17, are living together in the District of Lanchester. (Type Fiddiman in the ‘last name’ box and leopold in the ‘other members’ box). http://www.1911census.co.uk/search/tnaform.aspx?5

On the original 1901 census site if you search for fidd* in the parish of Tanfield you’ll find some info under the name Fiddamen. Parents James and Jane, both age 35, birth places and occupations etc. http://www.1901censusonline.com/search. ... ith_locale

If you search in the free 1881 Census index on Ancestry for a Jane Ludkin around that age you’ll find she had an older brother, Henry. http://content.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?ht ... 3a7858%3a0

Which means that it was probably Uncle Henry who was one of the sponsors.

Hope that’s useful,
Alan

LATER
Have you tried a Google search like this one?
http://www.google.com.au/search?complet ... arch&meta=

[daj]

Alan

Many thanks for all the work on this, I will now look into all the links.

I'm just learning how to research English ancestors

Thanks

David

[daj]

Hi David
There is some info about CofE sponsors here:
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/lifeevents ... tionb.html

Thanks for the tip on the website.

re. English census data - as you are in Glasgow you can access the English census data on Ancestry for free at any public library.

Yes, but shame it is not open at 8pm on a Monday evening ;-)