Hypothetical baptisms

[Kit]

I'm going through the Norfolk registers that have recently come online and have found a few marked as "hypothetical baptism".

I've not heard of it before. Does anyone know what it is?

[Kit]

I've answered my own question - baptism administered to persons in respect to whom it is doubtful whether they have or have not been baptized before.

[Olde Crone]

I have seen these baptisms noted as "received" (into the church) as well. I believe the form of words is slightly different.

OC

[Kit]

Interesting OC. I've seen received into the church after a private baptism at home, as though they thought the child would not survive but once it did they bought the baby to meet the congregation.

In those cases though the baptisms are marked PB or private or something similar.

[Nell]

One thing that has puzzled me for ages is the baptism of my gt x 3 grandmother Hannah, on the same day as her son, my gt x 2 grandfather Emmets Matthews. He wasn't her first child so I would have thought that her lack of baptism would have come up earlier - maybe when she married.

[Kit]

Maybe she had managed to keep it quiet prior to Emmets baptism or she might have become a believer and decided she needed to act.