Daily Ancestorondoyé
Ondoyé means "baptized privately" in French: water was poured in an emergency, most often by the midwife, when a newborn might die.
The ondoiement was a shortened baptism with only the water and the words, given by a lay person or a priest when a child was in danger of death or a full baptism could not be held. It was valid on its own.
If the child lived, it was brought to church so the priest could supply the missing ceremonies, and the entry may say ondoyé à la maison. Most ondoyé children died within hours or days, so look in the burials nearby.
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How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "ondoyé." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/french/ondoye. Last checked 2026-10-28.