Confirmation confused with baptism ?

[greyingrey]

Has anyone ever come across a record of some kind of ceremony like a confirmation which could be confused with a baptism?

The reason I'm asking is because I've got a baptism in 1800 & then a baptism of a child with the same name....probably in the same family....in 1812. I'd just dismiss this as different families or, for some reason, having 2 children with the same name, but one of these two then seems to disappear....& I can't find a death. When the person first appears on the census records, they give their birth as 1812....which would be more or less impossible in view of the ages of their children....on all subsequent census records (at the same address) it's given as c1800. Another explanation could be that the family had 2 children with the same name....the one baptised in 1812 died...just can't find the death....&, for the first census, the one baptised in 1801 used his brother's 1812 baptism record by mistake

[JudithM]

I don't think a confirmation would be easily confused with baptism in the parish records but i do think the parents might have had their child baptised twice, despite the fact that baptism is supposed only to be done once - especially if they had moved parishes in the meantime so that there was no record of the original in the register or if they baptised several of their children together in 1812 and forgot that the oldest had already been "done".
I'm not sure how or why the person could use an 1812 baptism (either their own or someone else's) by mistake in 1841. Census information did not have to be backed up by proof and surely they knew whether they were 41 or 29!

[Olde Crone Holden]

In the few church records where I have seen confirmations recorded, they have been in a completely separate section of the register (usually at the back) along with other stuff like excommunications (lol!) and sunday school classes. AFAIK, churches were not required to keep a list of confirmations.

OC

[greyingrey]

Thanks, Judith & Old Crone. They were in different parishes (Kegworth & Shepshed, Leics), but they are very close together, if not neighbouring, but they weren't the parish the parents lived in (Kingston on Soar, Notts...again, only a couple of miles away), but Kingston's church was in a state of disrepair at the time, & there aren't any records for the period, so its use may have been suspended for a time. Maybe they used the same name twice.

[Anne in Carlisle]

I have several instances of a child being baptised twice. I am sure it is the same child because the later baptism has their age, which matches the time of the first baptism. The first baptism may have been a private (emergency) one but it is not always notes. I think in some cases the parents just forgot and had them baptised again to be on the safe side! In some cases they are families who tend to be a bit random and have groups of children baptised on the same day. I guess if you've got 15 its hard to remember!!!

Anne

[greyingrey]

Mmm.....thanks, Anne. I agree with Judith that he must have known if he was 41 or 29, but it's a bit odd that either the survivor/one I can find/the only child with this name gave his age on the first census that would coincide with 1812 & the others to coincide with the later date. Oh well

[Wor canny Lass]

Those who are older can have baptisn by emersion as opposed to chrisening. I knew a C of E vicar who encouraged this, and he regularly borrowed out baptestry for this purpose. So I assume a number of these would have been christened. I have also head a Metholdist minister give a great sermon on baptism by emersion at the persons own wish.

My denomination only baptises those who are old enough to request this, and only by emersion.

Anne

[JudithM]

Those who are older can have baptisn by emersion as opposed to chrisening. I knew a C of E vicar who encouraged this, and he regularly borrowed out baptestry for this purpose. So I assume a number of these would have been christened. I have also head a Metholdist minister give a great sermon on baptism by emersion at the persons own wish.

My denomination only baptises those who are old enough to request this, and only by emersion.

Anne

No, the Church of England, along with most demoninations sees the sacrament of Baptism (sometimes referred to as christening) as the initiation into the christian faith. It can only happen once. If there is uncertainty whether someone has already baptised there may be "conditional baptism" where the form of words is:
"N, if you have not already been baptized, I baptize you in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"
and there is also provision to renew baptism vows but not to be baptised twice.