I have some queries with the 1801-1815 Spa Fields Chapel Baptism records. One example is that I have a baptism for George Lewis son of Thomas & Ann Lewis at St Andrew Holborn 20th June 1814. This is very close in date to a baptism at Spa Fields (same names (ignoring spelling)) on 30th June 1814 (RG4/4171/image 0257). My query is...why are there so many baptisms in the Spa Fields Register dated 30th June 1814? It's hard to believe the baptisms all took place on the same date. Was that date used as a 'catch-all' date for baptisms that came in by the end of the month? (There seem to be 'blocks' of similar dates for baptisms throughout the register). (Of course what I'd like to know is if the 20th June baptism relates to the same George Lewis as the 30th June record - but I know that's impossible to answer!).
British History Online has minutes from the Spa Fields Chapel for 1784-1811, from them, it looks like there were lots of problems (ie deaths of committee members) around the early 1800's - so perhaps that is the reason for the registers being entered up en masse. Code: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/london-record-soc/vol11/pp72-87
Thank you Molly May. There's a lot of interesting information there - I'll have a fuller look tomorrow. It may be that it was the reliance on itinerant ministers that accounted for this 'bundling' of baptisms, but this needs further investigation.
