[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I have just spoken to Ma and she has confirmed all of what I said.......and that the long clothes were to prevent the devil from getting the baby's soul(that was the superstition of the time)....she also said that if you hadn't been churched then some local women would not speak to you or acknowledge you in any way.

As I said, fear, induced by religious superstition, formulated to keep the masses subserviant to the church.
Retlaw