From: "Carmel M Reynen" <fcfibre1@bigpond.com> Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 6:54 PM Subject: Re: [AUS-MELB] Fw: Early BDMs > > Maureen > Registration did not become compulsory until around 1853/4. before that it > was christening records. It is not uncommon to not be able to find births > or even deaths around the earlier days and even marriages could be > tentative, depending on the ministers record keeping skills. I also > believe many records have gone astray as well. It is frustrating but a > fact that some records are just not available. > As for shipping! if the ship called into Perth on its way to Adelaide then > Melb it is possible the records for all 3 ports are in Perth and not > necessarily Melb. If there is no record to be found on Prov site then they > are just not there as these records are complete. > Hope this is of help although I have not actually found anything for you > Carmel >> >>> 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