L&T Archive 1998-2003

'Churching' of women
In Response To: Speaking of confinement ()

There was (and is!) a church service for "officially" recognising women back into society like this. It mainly gives thanks for the "safe deliverance" of mother and child and , in JA's England, seems to have been performed at any time that any other services were carried on. I don't think there was a statuory time to wait before it was done,though- I think it was when the woman felt herself ready. The ceremony is called "Churching" and probably goes way, way, back to times when a mother who had given birth was considerd "unclean"... but again, I don't think that particular sentiment really applies to JA's time.

Messages In This Thread

Royal Deaths and Diseases, final part
And on the subject of pregnancy...
They didn't really... ("confinement")
I have to wonder if the styles...
Right you are
Yes...
And health...
Speaking of confinement
'Churching' of women
Oh yes!
Churching
Churching
Origins of Churching
An apt quote from the 1770s
Hey, I got that line in the 1990s too! nfm
What a coincidence!
Charlotte and Leopold
I digress...
Same argument goes on today ...
Mourning for Jane and Charlotte....