Eggiwil BE - baptism - 1819 - Catharina Bärtschi - transcription and translation

Melissa Klassen Dalley

This is a request for help transcribing and translating this baptism entry for my 3x great-grandmother. I can make out some names and dates, but is there anything contextual to help me understand why my Anabaptist ancestor was baptized as an infant?

Tauf Register der Kirchgemeinde Eggiwÿl [Bern, Switzerland], vom Jenner 1807 vis 1828, V:155, no. 69, Catharina Bärtschi, bap. 19 Nov 1819; Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, StABE K Eggiwil 5. 

Here are links to the baptismal register:

FamilySearch: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-KQ9Y-QS DGS 4757911, image 345 of 580 

Bern Archives: https://www.query.sta.be.ch/Dateien/18/D94691.pdf - should be p. 80 of the pdf.

Thank you for your consideration.

WSeelentag

Tag der Geburt / Tauffe [day of birth / baptism]… 1819 … Heyrath [marriage] / Wohnort [residence]

Okt.28 / Nov. 19 / eine eheliche [a legitimate] Catharina

Par(entes) [parents]:

Peter Bärtschi, Peters sel. [son of the late Peter]

Anna Dubach Christens sel. [daughter of the late Christen] / both von hier [from here] / living in Glasshütte.

copul(iert) [married] hier 13 Dec 1811

Test(es) [witnesses]:

Ulrich Bärtschi / von hier / Glashütte

Elsbeth Dubach, Christen Gerbers Fr(au) [Christen Gerber's wife] / von Schangnau

Verena Lüthy [Lüthi], Hans Dubachs Fr(au) [Hans Dubach's wife] / von hier / Weyerboden

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Why would an Anabaptist be baptized as an infant? A first explanation could be that the family became Anabaptist later - or they were afraid to "come out" officially as Anabaptists, due to the problems they might get in this case.

There is already a long discussion on Bärtschi of Eggiwil on https://www.geneal-forum.com/phpbb/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=16190. I recommend you post your question there (registration is free and without obligation) where other people interested in the family will automatically be informed about your post. Even if (up to now) most contributions will be in German - the forum is multilingual and English is fine (computer translations are dicouraged).

Melissa Klassen Dalley

Thank you so much for this. It fills the gaps in my own preliminary translation. I was struggling particularly with the witnesses' relationships and they are such an important part of reconstructing forgotten families. I'm familiar with Germanic script, but this writer was difficult for me.

I'm also pleased with the maps, the context you gave for the Anabaptists, and the recommendation for the forum (for which I am now registered). I read through the Bärtschi posts, as well as another dealing specifically with Anabaptists and infant baptism.

I have a lot to learn, and I'm grateful for people like you, who take the time to help.

GregWidmer

That is very helpful information.

Thanks!