This can’t be true!

Yes it can! Records before 1752.

Can this be right?

1  Was James Smith Baptised before he was born?

What about this?

2  Why did it take about 1 year before they baptised him?

A marriage and a birth –

3  Was James Carter born before his parents married?

The reason why these three records seem odd is that in 1752 the first day of the year (New Year’s Day) changed from 25th March to the 1st January. Any date before 1752 that fell between the 1st January and the 24th March should be written with a double year for example be written 12th February 1712/3.

James Carter was not born before his parents married but he was conceived before then!

(Extracted from Lancashire Online Parish Clerks with slight alteration to illustrate the point. i.e. Double dates removed.)
 
This change was part of the change from Julian to Gregorian Calendars

• Britain was late in adopting the change in calendars
• Catholic countries in Europe changed in 1582 but Britain changed in 1752.
• But Britain was not, by far, the last European country to adopt it. That was Greece in 1923
  
• 
  

Two changes took place.

First

• The start of the year changed from Lady Day, the 25th March, to January 1st in 1752 in England , Wales and Ireland
• Scotland made this same change but in 1600
  

Second

• This was the change in calendar
• England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and the British colonies changed from Julian to Gregorian Calendar at midnight on Wednesday 2 September 1752; the next day was Thursday 14 September 1752