This might be off track for what you are seeking but I learned that: The New South Wales administration were given permission in the 1830s to bring German migrants to the colony to work in the wine industry and any other profession or trade where English migrants could not do the work. One of the basic conditions was that each migrant HAD TO BE MARRIED. William Kirchner who was responsible for bringing the Germans to the Hunter and Camden valleys worked a 'shifty'. First of all a number of marriages were arranged in a hurry in Hessen. Then he arranged for some marriages to take place on the ship but this seemed to upset the public servants. They have never changed. The rule said they must be married so that meant they had to be married before beginning the journey to Australia. I read somewhere once that there was a free passage movement of people between Germany and England without visas or passports. Don't know if they were in this era. However I do know that Kirchner had quite a number of his migrants travel from Rotterdam to London. They apparently according to one migrant anyhow, spent about two weeks in London. During this time he had a number of the single people marry so that they could say that they commenced the journey to New South Wales as married couples. Just another way to outsmart public servants. I don't know as yet how many came via London or how many married in London but I suggest it was quite a few. Albert Grulke in sunny Melbourne -----Original Message----- From: Neville Lee [mailto:nevillel@ozemail.com.au] Sent: Sunday, 30 January 2005 4:36 PM To: AUS-GERMAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [AUS-GERMAN] Germans to the Hunter Valley - Buettner (Bidner) Have read recent articles re Germans to the Hunter Valley. I was interested in one reference re the assisted migrants to be married. My gg/father/mother travelled from Hesse and spent about 12 months or more in London before embarking on the "Beulah" which sailed on 6/12/1848 for Sydney. They were married in 1847 in London. I have been unable to find any record of their marriage in or around London. Would any other readers have similar cases where their forebears were married in London prior to departure for Australia. Neville Lee ==== AUS-GERMAN Mailing List ==== Remember, to unsubscribe, send an email to aus-german-l-request@rootsweb.com with unsubscribe in the subject line. ============================== Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. New content added every business day. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx