by Angela Cole
acole@thekmgroup.co.uk

She made a piece of family history, but six-month-old Lucy Barkway managed to sleep through it.

The baby became the 10th member of her family to wear a 108-year-old christening gown, when she was baptised at All Saints Church in Staplehurst.

The story of the handmade dress, whose origins are unknown, starts in 1903 when Lucy’s great-great auntie Margaret became the first person to have the detailed design slipped over her head.

Its next church outing was three years later, in 1906, when Margaret’s sister Kathleen had her christening and six years later Lucy’s great-grandmother Nancy was the one wearing the delicate fabric.

The dress then had a 26-year break from duty before being called up once again in 1938 when Lucy’s great-aunt Lorraine donned it, followed 10 years later by the tot’s grandfather James.

Dates are sketchy for when Lucy’s second cousins Kate and Jane were dressed in it, but it was definitely 1975 when proud mum Susie was having her head wetted.

The last child christened in it, before Lucy, was her uncle Simon in 1979. Since then it has been kept safe by Lucy’s grandparents who live in Staplehurst.

Four generations of the family were at the church to see the dress’s latest display.

Mum Susie Rowe, from Larkfield, said: “We are quite a small family and in 108 years there hasn’t been many children christened in it. I just wanted to keep the tradition going.”