Whithorn Free Church Baptisms

One of the great things that happen about looking at old documents in the National Records of Scotland is that you find wee pieces of paper, a little note, a letter, a receipt or other things of the kind. They give an insight into the real people who created and used the records.

Looking today at the baptismal register of the Whithorn Free Church, 1843-1921 (which we will be indexing soon) I found a wee note that I thought I would share with you:

Bishop Sutton

Nr. Clutton

Bristol

Somerset

3 Dec 1923

Revd. Sir
Will you please get the Birth Certificate and send to me of John Montgomery son of William Montgomery Born in the year 1853 25 Dec and was baptised in the Free Kirk by the Revd. Mr Anderson.

PS What charges then are I will remit to you enclosed stamped directed envelope for reply

and oblige

Yours Truly

John Montgomery

© Copyright National Records of Scotland reference CH3/801/6 and Emma Maxwell of www.maxwellancestry.com

The first entry on the page where the letter was found is that of John, a male child, father William Montgomery, mother Mary McRobert. The father’s profession was given as a Farm Servant, and the child was born on December 26 1853 at Appleby - Glasserton and Baptised on 3 February 1854 by F.F. Anderson.

I love the fact that John, aged nearly 80, did not know his date of birth but did know who had baptised him! Or perhaps John was correct and the clerk wrote it down wrong in the register. We’ll never know now.