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Non-conformists and the Church of England

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  • Non-conformists and the Church of England

    I'm still trying to understand whether non-conformists would baptize their children in Church of England churches.

    I have a (possible) ancestor. Her birth is registered in Dr William's Library, as is her father's. She was born 1810, St Michaels Crooked Lane. Her father was son of a weaver.

    Her spouse may have had Quaker heritage on his mother's side, but he was baptized Church of England in 1808.

    Her 8 children are born between 1833 and 1853, in Shoreditch, Bethnal Green and Stepney.

    All were baptized (tho not necessarily in a timely fashion, except #1) in Church of England churches.

    But on the Royal Artillery attestation papers of the son born 1845, the words make Oath are crossed out, and written above is declare. Seems to indicate he was a non-conformist?

    So, were non-conformist children baptized in Church of England Churches in the mid-1800s? If so, why?

  • #2
    Not an answer to your question, but just a few observations.

    "Non-conformist" covers a range of religious groups with differing beliefs and practices. Some had infant baptisms, others had adult baptism and full entrance to the denomination, whilst the Quakers recorded births, but had no baptisms at all.

    Also, some people were not particularly tied to any denomination and fluctuated between church & chapel. (This was very common in the village where my ancestors lived - sometimes there was a mass C of E roundup, other times it was the Wesleyans or the Primitive Methodists, all resulting in a family session. However, some of these children had already been baptised into one of the other denominations and so were baptised more than once.)

    Also bear in mind that there were constant missionary drives and that people may have been attracted to a very different religious group and become a fervent member.

    I would agree that declaration sounds non C of E. I believe that Quakers "declared," but I think they were usually passivists so don't think they would have joined the army.

    Jay
    Last edited by Janet in Yorkshire; 15-08-11, 09:50. Reason: spelling
    Janet in Yorkshire



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

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    • #3
      Some nonconformists were baptised in C of E because an employer/landlord demanded it. Most of my noncons were independent, self employed weavers or smallholders who did not need the approval of clergy or employer, so went their own way.

      OC

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      • #4
        Just being a non-conformist isn't usually a reason to refuse to take the oath. Many non-CofE Christians would be perfectly happy to swear on the Bible. A Jew or non-Christian would refuse, and a member of a strict Christian sect might object to the Bible being used for swearing of oaths.
        Uncle John - Passed away March 2020

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        • #5
          Following on from UJ's post,
          Charles Bradlaugh, proclaimed atheist, claimed it was his right to affirm, rather than swear on oath when elected MP.
          (I should have remembered this as I once lived in Northampton!)



          Jay
          Janet in Yorkshire



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

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          • #6
            I would agree that the right to declare or affirm rather than take an oath is not a particularly non conformist idea. All of the C of E ministers I have ever discussed this matter with would always affirm, so would I and all my family, it still causes a bit of confusion when on jury service though!
            Sue x


            Looking for Hanmores in Kent, Blakers in Essex and Kent, Pickards in East London and Raisons in Somerset.

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            • #7
              Another observation - because you were born into a nonconformist family does not necessarily mean you were a nonconformist yourself as an adult. If you are baptised as an infant you are baptised into the faith your parents choose for you.

              OC

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              • #8
                I have recently discovered Quaker heritage in my tree, It has been explained to me that one ancestor married out, They must marry another Quaker to stay in the faith, so the Quaker can not marry his partner in Quaker church so has to marry in the Cof E but as Quaker does not believe in baptism the CofE requests that he be baptised in their faith in order to marry, his children can not then marry ito the faith but the childrens birth have to be recorded and witnessed by two witnesses of the quaker faith, I have so far found this through a couple of generations, and quakers keep meticulous records too.
                A bit like pedigree I thought

                Edna

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                • #9
                  That's interesting Edna, I always thought that if Quakers married out, they were cast out of their faith.

                  OC

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                  • #10
                    Mine seemed to fluctuate. Daniel, the patriarch of my Quaker gang was bp C of E as a baby and then married into a Quaker family. I have not found a church marriage for this couple - we think it was a Quaker alliance - they had 4 boys, all births recorded in the Quaker archives.
                    One of these boys was married 3 times - the first two were in church, but the third was in the Quaker annals. There were two children from the first marriage, recorded as Quaker events.
                    Of course, we have no means of knowing whether or not Daniel the founder of the dynasty joined the Quaker movement before the marriage was allowed to take place.
                    His bride's parents married in a church in June 1696, but the register recorded that they were both Quakers!
                    Looking through my notes, though I haven't got either a church burial or a Quaker death entry for the second of the 3 wives mentioned above. As I say, there seems to be no hard and fast rule.

                    Jay

                    Jay
                    Janet in Yorkshire



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

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