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  • Churchings

    In amongst the burials of 1822 for the parish of St Andrew Enfield I came across a list of churchings! To compound the issue this is found in the London births and Baptisms 1813 - 1906 :conf: so I think the moral of this is don't believe what it says on the heading!!
    Bo

    At present: Marshall, Smith, Harding, Whitford, Lane (in and around Winchcomb).

  • #2
    The Churching of women was a dreadful procedure, whereby a recently delivered mother had to go to church to be "cleansed," after the sin of giving birth.

    It belonged to the dark ages, but sadly, some women were still subjecting themselves to this as late as the 1960's.

    Jay
    Janet in Yorkshire



    Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

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    • #3
      My sister was subjected to this service in the mid 1960s before her daughter could be christened.:madd: I couldn't believe she would allow it but !!!

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      • #4
        Churching of women - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
        Jess

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        • #5
          I believe that it wasn't so much that giving birth was a sin - just that (rather picking up on ancient Jewish traditions) all that blood would make her ritually "unclean".

          These days, where a comparable service takes place, it's a thanksgiving for safe delivery - which is altogether more appropriate!

          Christine
          Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Janet in Yorkshire View Post
            The Churching of women was a dreadful procedure, whereby a recently delivered mother had to go to church to be "cleansed," after the sin of giving birth.

            It belonged to the dark ages, but sadly, some women were still subjecting themselves to this as late as the 1960's.

            Jay
            NO NO NO! The service of churching was one of thanks and there was no mention of cleansing.
            Its full name is "The Thanksgiving of Women after Child-birth"
            The woman, at the usual time after her delivery shall come into the church decently apparelled and there shall kneel down in some convenient place .... and then the priest shall say unto her:
            "Foreasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his goodness to give you safe deliverance, and hath preserved you in the great danger of childbirth: You shall therefore give hearty thanks unto God, and say
            I am well pleased........"
            Other words include:
            "Lo children and the fruit of the womb are an heritage and gift that comes from God......."
            and
            "O Almighty God we give thee humble thanks for that thou hast vouchsafed to deliver this woman thy servant from the great peril and pain of child birth....."

            It would seem some "old wives" decided that women were unclean until they had been churched but there is no provision for any "dreadful procedures" in the service.
            Judith passed away in October 2018

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            • #7
              Judith

              Churching today is a service of thanksgiving for safe deliverance.

              It wasn't always so, though. The remnants of the Old Catholic regime clung on for centuries and women had to prostrate themselves before the altar and beg forgiveness for their sin. (Original sin)

              A friend of mine had to do this in the 1950s at her very high anglican church. She was furious that there was no corresponding requirement for the MAN to repent of his sin. She told me that her mother would not enter her house until she had been churched.

              OC

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              • #8
                OC I can't possibly comment on the experiences of your friend but the service I quoted is from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer so the Thanksgiving purpose of the service is not a modern idea.
                Judith passed away in October 2018

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                • #9
                  I agree with Judith. My mum went to church for 'churching' after my brother was born (1957). She was a churchgoer (C of E) but I'm certain she wouldn't have gone if there were 'dreadful procedures'. Obviously I didn't go with her but I can remember her telling me it was to say thank you for the baby.

                  Anne

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