1940 advice

Star5

Hi
Can anyone advise on the following.
Was it the norm in the 1940s to Christen your child in hospital before taking the child home or would this have only happened if the child was ill.
Also was it the possible that death certs in the 1940s were not always issued especially for infants a few weeks old.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.. conducting research on a missing cousin and answers to the above could add to the jigsaw.
Thanks
Star

pinkypinky

Members of my family born in hospital in the 1940s were taken by their father to the nearest church (Holles St - St Andrew's Westland Row) for baptism within a couple of days of birth and then returned to the hospital.

I'd say it's very unlikely that death certs were not issued for infants by that stage.

KildareFan

Star5 wrote: »

Hi
Can anyone advise on the following.
Was it the norm in the 1940s to Christen your child in hospital before taking the child home or would this have only happened if the child was ill.
Also was it the possible that death certs in the 1940s were not always issued especially for infants a few weeks old.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.. conducting research on a missing cousin and answers to the above could add to the jigsaw.
Thanks
Star

It was fairly standard practice to have the child baptised within a few days of birth, so if the mother was still in hospital, the child would be brought to the nearest church for baptism. I was born in Holles Street, and baptised in Westland Row while my mother was still in hospital. However, if you mean that the child was baptised in the hospital itself, this could indicate that the child was too ill to be brought outside the hospital.