----- Original Message ----- From: "player6" <player6@bigpond.com> To: "AUS-MELBOURNE-L: rootsweb.com" <AUS-MELBOURNE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 3:19 PM Subject: {not a subscriber} Early BDMs > Hello List, > > I have a number of ancestors who arrived between 1848 and 1854 to Port > Phillip. Although the later marriages and children are registered in Vic > BDMs, quite a few seem to have no available records. I figure that some of > the marriages may not have taken place but am wondering about births for > the children. > > Two in particular have me stumped; > > Henry Charles Fowler born about 1852/3 Father Thomas Fowler, Mother Jane > Bruton (father arrived 1848; mother arrived October 1851 -marriage > supposed to be 1851- no record). They had two other sons registered in > 1854 & 1857 and one unregistered who died in infancy however Henry > survived to adulthood. > > William Stewart born about 1853 Father Robert Stewart, Mother Mary Bissett > (father's arrival unknown; mother's arrival 1853 - marriage 1854?? - > certificate found). > > These children appear on the birth certificates of later siblings. They > don't appear to be registered in the Vic BDMs nor the NSW BDMs. It seems > strange that the rest of the children in each case were registered. Am I > missing something? Is it common to have missing births before Victorian > Regisration in 1853? > > Any ideas would be welcomed. > > Cheers Maureen