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  2. FamilySearch Christening records in 1870's New York

Re: FamilySearch Christening records in 1870's New York #usa #general

Barbara Mannlein <bsmannlein@...>
 



On Jul 20, 2020, at 11:07 AM, Phil Karlin <philk@...> wrote:
Thank you Barbara.
So do you think that the "christening" was not one per se, but merely that the dataset included christenings, so a christening was assumed to have occurred by the dataset builder?

I’d guess that the birth info was included in a pile that included births as well as christenings… and then it was entered into a record book they created an all-inclusive title. 

I THINK THAT RECORDING CHRISTENINGS IN AMERICAN CIVIL RECORDS WOULD BE EXTREMELY RARE.   WONDER WHAT OTHER RESEARCHES KNOW?

When Covid 19 is in our memories, you’ll have to visit a FHL and call for the records… it would be interesting to see if the “christenings" were christenings in fact or that was the only  evidence of birth

Keep in mind that I gave Rebeke as an example. The same thing happened for her siblings - they have christenings too.  
       
             same city, same time frame  -  1868 - 1879

Is there information on the record image that's not in the index?
Depends on the record… some have more info, others less… these births were mostly at home, 
not all midwives were literate…. some were precise in entering info, others sloppy… some returned the cards in a timely way, others procrastinated (and in some cases, never returned them..  I think I read that 20% of births in the time frame you are working with were never recorded.  

You will have to call up each image when we can finally go to the centers.

I'd love to know any or all of these facts from the image:

Who made the original record? Birth location (hospital or home, street address). usually at home

Date - birthdate vs. christening date vs. recording date.* 

Was there a doctor or midwife attending and their name?   

*Although the record we're looking at is dated July 29 1870, she appears on the 1870 Census, dated July 15, which says she was born in May.  

People were notorious for not remembering DOB’s  — I’ve been at this for over 50 years… I see records where each and every time someone entered his OWN birthday it was different than the last time.   (just like spelling…..

And what if "christening" just means "naming" and I'm worked up in a lather over nothing, LOL?
      
 Keep my address… and when you find out please let me know.

Barbara Mannlein
Tucson, AZ
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