birth/baptism - fill in the missing word/s .....

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:35 pm

Hi all - today I visited local LDS centre to look at some films I'd ordered, and came across a wee gem. Unfortunately I couldn't read some of the crucial words

- not because the film is indistinct, simply because the writing was too fancy for me. Sadly I couldn't get a print (techie probs) but it said the following, and I'm hoping it's standard terminology that someone will recognise:

"Morrison Elisabeth daughter of Thomas Morrison and Margaret Stormont, Spouse born 30 April 1839, bapt. 15 June 1845. N.B. The Grandfather -? the --- (parents?) being in America."

I'm guessing at 'parents', but good chance it was. The other missing word after Grandfather might begin with Sp and end in r - could it be Sponsor? I don't know if there would be a phrase to describe someone other than a parent who brought a child to be baptised.

Elisabeth was 6 yrs old when she was baptised, and there's a wee puzzle about her maiden name on her death cert and the marriage cert of one of her sons, so may have been raised by this grandparent - but that's another story. At least I've resolved the mystery of her age, otherwise she'd have been married at 14!

Anyone like to hazard a guess?

Thanks & best wishes

Pinkshoes

Andy · Post by **Andy** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:16 am

At a guess, one of three possibles after Grandfather, Sponsor or Guardian or, if more than one word, In loco parentis

I've seen Brought Forward By, Whoever. But that wouldn't fit in this case.

These are just guesses I'd really need to see the extract to be sure.

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 3:55 pm

Andy, thanks for that. I'm content to go with "sponsor" for now - it was my best guess at the time and from looking at my scribbled attempt at copying the word, I'm about 80% sure. I just wasn't sure about the context, but having put my brain in gear, of course it fits.

Thanks again.

Pinkshoes.

Post by **AnneM** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:34 pm

Hi

My understanding is that the correct name for godparents in the Church of Scotland is sponsors, if that helps.

Anne

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:16 pm

Thanks Anne, it does help to confirm it.

Now, if only it had said which grandfather ...

Pinkshoes

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:40 pm

Hi Pinkshoes,
I'd a wee look at it today - another reason it's difficult to read is that the ink on the other side of the page shows through.
By the way, it was as MORISON - with one "R".
--
It looks like "... N.B. The Grandfather Sponsor - The Parents being in America"

Barring serious illness being the reason, did Grandfather say "they're oot the country, here's ma chance tae get the wean baptized!"
If it did happen that way, i wonder what was said when they returned....

Jack

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 7:21 pm

Jack thank you very much for taking the trouble to do that - it's appreciated. That's it sorted then.

Yes, I should have typed Morison (though later it appears as Morrison) - easy to see how transcription errors occur - people see what they think it should be

Maybe your theory is right Jack and grandpa seized the day - 6 years is a long time to wait! Maybe the parents went to America expecting to return, then announced years later they would stay (or maybe died there, or even on the journey). I'm getting carried away now, so I'll shut up.

There's more of a mystery to this lot, but I'm still digging.

Pinkshoes