A baptism with no name

[douglas]

I have a baptism for parents Calland and Kerr but no name is given for the child. As legitimate births include LD or LS, it seems that it could have been illegitimate but why no name? If the child was stillborn, would it still have been entered in the Baptism register?

Douglas

[AndrewP]

Hi Douglas,

I suspect, but have no proof, that this child may have been still-born as no first name is given.

LD and LS will be Lawful Daughter and Lawful Son. The first one on the page has no LD or LS, which makes me wonder if that child was illegitimate.

All the best,

AndrewP

[SarahND]

I have also seen cases where it seems the clergyman forgot the details and intended to come back and fill in the name, but never did. These are cases where I know that the child lived a good long life...

Best wishes,
Sarah

[douglas]

Thanks for the replies.

Was the Register of Baptism completed by the Minister at the time of baptism or thereabouts? I mean, if it's in the register was there definitely a baptism and was this always in church? What I'm trying to understand is whether a stillborn child would be baptised.

Douglas

[douglas]

Further reading shows me that Baptisms could be at home as well as church. This suggests that it could have been stillborn but would a baptism be carried out without the child being given a name?

Douglas

[Anne H]

Like Sarah, I have also come across many where the Session Clerk forgot to fill in the details.

I also have one where ''a daughter named Richard'' was written - the 1841 census looked like Rich or Rach, making me think it might have been Rachel after the grandmother. It wasn't until years later I found Richard with a wife and children of his own.

Regards,
Anne H