Bearing cloths were used for ceremonial occasions, particularly baptisms, up to the end of the 17th century. The bearing cloth would have been wrapped round the swaddled child during the procession to church but removed for the immersion of the child in the font as part of the ceremony. The cloths were generally very ornate, and therefore expensive to produce. Such a cloth would traditionally be passed down through the family, being used for sons, daughters and cousins alike, and many remained treasured family possessions. The bearing cloth was effectively replaced by the christening robe when total immersion ceased to be used, therefore allowing the child's clothing to be more decorative in itself.