Genealogy: Beyond the BMD: Church Canon Laws - baptisms, marriages, burials and more

The Canon Laws of a Church dictate the way its members should live, salaries of church clerks and pastors, allowable penalties, and also includes the rules of baptisms, marriages and burials.

Marriage laws were actually dictated by the civil courts, but the church could give penalties if a marriage went against what the church believed.

In some of the earliest church laws if a child was not baptized within 30 days of birth the father was fined, and if the child died before being baptized the father had to give up everything he owned! Baptisms differ only slightly in religions as to who can be baptized, as the church wants as many souls as possible. (Turn page for who may be sponsors). A conditional baptism is often seen in early records.

Canon Law of Catholic Church 1920

Some gave rules about god-parents or sponsors.

Presbyterian Law 1884

One of the canon laws that was discussed since at least 1761 in all the churches at some time or another, is the "marriage with a deceased wife's sister".

Presbyterian Law 1882

I don't know about you, but I have at least a couple of ancestor relatives who married their sister-in-law when their wife died. Especially when there were young children involved.

The laws of the church were also strict about who could be buried on holy ground.