It is a gown and yes, a boy wore it

- more than one boy actually.

Someone I know posted a picture of a lovely, lacy christening or baptismal gown on her Facebook page yesterday. It was first worn by her grandmother in 1897 and they have apparently "all worn it since". 

It is a very pretty garment indeed and the sort of thing that is very definitely a family heirloom. I know. We have one too. It doesn't have the same sort of lovely lace...but then our family were staunch Presbyterians at the time.

A second cousin in another state currently has "our gown". Her grandchild was recently baptised in it. Yes, like the other family it we have had our money's worth out of it.

But we have had much more too. It was made by my great-great grandmother out of fine linen fabric and, as far as we know, it was first worn by one of my great-uncles at his baptism in 1883.  My great-uncle was the first of eleven children and the subsequent ten all wore it. Then it was used by the next generation. The Senior Cat's two older cousins were the first to use it, then he did. His brother and other cousins followed.  My generation came next. I wore it and my brother wore and one of my sisters wore it. My youngest sister did not wear it. Her baptism was delayed by some months and she was simply too big for it.

It was passed on to other members of the clan,back and forth. It is now looking a little worn but everyone who has used it has taken great care of it. I tried to work out how many of us have worn it in my generation but I can't. I know of only two who definitely have not but there may be others. And now, babies tend to be a little larger so not all of them in the next generation were able to wear it - or in the generation after that.

And yes, it is a "gown". There are photos of the boys in the clan wearing what most people would think of as a "lacy dress" because there are pin tucks down the front with lace on either side. There is a petticoat as well. The shawl has not survived but some years ago I made another one from the original pattern. It is a simple thing, intended to be used for years. That has been passed on too.

The gown is rather fragile now. I don't know how many times it will be worn but when I helped my cousin's wife pack it carefully I thought of my great-great grandmother making it to give to her daughter. Her daughter was going to the other side of the world and they would never see one another again. I doubt they were particularly sentimental people. There was no room for that in their crofting, seafaring, dominie and Presbyterian background. They would possibly find the reasons we treasure it rather foolish - but they would applaud the thriftiness.

It is a garment of which to be proud.