Tradition!

Here is a picture of me. And my Mother. And my Grandmother. And my Great Grandmother. Four generations all linked - apart from the fact that we are all related - by the baptismal robe.

Made of hand embroidered silk in the late Victorian era, that set of robes had accompanied each of us to our Christian baptism.

robe as were my great uncle, great aunt, uncle, cousin, in fact anyone who had a familial link to our family matriarch Hilda, was baptised in that set of robes...

And today it is still in use used in the baptism of anyone with a familial link to our matriarch Hilda. My niece and nephew were both baptised in those robes.

Of course it doesn't get out too much but what an ecumenical robe it is! Starting out pure High Church Anglican, after my grandmother married my catholic grandfather it felt quite at home accompanying my mother, uncle, me and various others into various Catholic Churches around the traps.  And it has travelled around the World and back again!  Whenever and wherever a child in the 'family' is being made ready for baptism, that robe is sure to be there, faithfully carrying out its duty.

All part of tradition and while we don't know exactly how old it is (it is at least 123 years old) it remains a valued part of our family tradition - a link to our past and our Christian heritage - and I thought I would introduce it to you!

By the way, my great grandmother (Hilda) had not been out of her village for at least 77 years when this photo was taken.  She had never been to London, nor seen the sea and in her entire life had never left her county (Hertfordshire).  The trip to Surrey in a motor car was for her our equivalent to our first aeroplane trip overseas.