Is The 'chese And Bread' An Old Northern Custom?

[jacklee]

As far back as I remember, babies were normally carried to church by the Godmother to be christened with the parents following on.
Not many cars about then.
The custom was to carry 'cheese and bread' - usually a teacake containing cheese and a sixpence - this was handed to the first person of the opposite sex to the baby who the christening party met
Age didn't matter - I remember receiving it when I was about 15.
I'm a Geordie so maybe this custom belongs to Tyneside.
Wonder if it still goes on.

[vakayu]

Hi jacklee I am Scottish and I have not heard of this,just the giving of silver to a baby for luck.

[albaqwerty]

never heard of it, but it's a lovely thing to do.

Also Scottish, and the giving of silver to the baby, usually popped into the pram at the babby's feet.

[guilliebrougues]

Hi Jacklee I come from Staffordshire and I have not heard of this before, but there was a thing about anyone who had had a baby, had to be churched ( go to church soon after the baby was born) if not it would be bad luck. Has anyone else heard of this . ?

[DJHawkes]

never heard of this, cheese and bread? Bread and drippin up here, if you were lucky. I guess the 'teacake' is a barm cake

[mushroom25]

//I guess the 'teacake' is a barm cake //

...not on tyneside - that'd be a "stottie".

[anneasquith]

in this part of Scotland ( central) it was a christening piece,

[jacklee]

Thanks for the interest,
anneasquith - would the christening piece contain cheese?

[anneasquith]

im not aware it had to contain cheese, the only one I ever received was 2 tea biscuits thick with butter and a sixpence inside, babies were not allowed to go outside until they had to be baptised, so quite often the mum didn't attend as they may well have been recovering from a difficult birth,

[janbee]

Jacklee, I'm from Edinburgh and have never heard of that custom. It was always money(silver) put into a baby's pram. It was for good luck and people put money into prams even if the baby and parent's were strangers. I thought it was a nice custom but don't know if it's still carried on today.

[craft1948]

I've never heard of that here in Yorkshire, but after having the daughter I remember my nan wouldn't let me into her house until after I'd been churched.

[quinie]

Here the custom was to slip money under the baby's pillow.Babies wore goonies (gowns) till they were christened then "shortened" after the ceremony-girls into dresses and boys into romper suits.They always wore a christening robe with a lovely shawl depending on the weather for the christening. Usually it took place when they were about six to eight weeks old.How things have changed!