I won't respond to comments made after my message as several others have taken up the points and answered very well. Hadn't realized it would generate such a response but I think it's good.
I wish to pick up from message below 'it was a reasonable assumption that the birth date was a month or so earlier'(than baptism). Not necessarily. Families often liked to have children baptised at the church where their family may have worshipped for generations so if they had moved away and couldn't afford to keep returning after each birth then their children would all be baptised at the same time when they were able to make the journey. Before civil registration in 1837 this can sometimes prove a problem about a child's age if there is no other documentation available. It is, therefore, important to show both birth and baptism dates if you have them. Carol > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > CC: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] Baptism and Christening > Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:52:47 +1300 > > I try to think about 'why' I want to add something to help me decide where it > goes. Church records (Baptisms/Christenings) are historically included in > genealogy records as records of birth. Before civil registration, of births, > marriages and deaths, church records were often the most authoritative proof > and as baptisms usually took place shortly after the birth, it was a > reasonable assumption that the birth date was a month or so earlier. After > civil registration and presumably more accurate dating, recording a baptism > in the vital records area seems redundant. I prefer to record Baptisms, > Christenings, naming ceremonies and so on in the events section. I try to > resist the temptation to fill that empty baptism field when I have a more > accurate birth record. Genealogy/Family History, love them both! > > Legacy User Group guidelines: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp > Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on > our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). > To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
