At 12:32 PM 9/08/2006, Janese wrote: >Hullo Dave and Listers. >My 4 times great grandfather William BARRETT was born in Forden >Shropshire. Arriving as a convict in Australia 1818. He was >convicted with Cornelious BARRETT. So far I have been unable to >pinpoint his birth/baptisim. Hi Janese Fortunately for you the early Forden (Montgomeryshire) records for christenings and marriages are on the British Vital Records Disks version 2 - so close to the Shropshire border as to be counted as being in Shropshire by many folk. There is only one Forden in that area. I consider that this is your William, unless he was an old man by the time he was convicted, which seems unlikely, as the only other William was christened in 1758! BARRET, William Christening Gender: Male Christening Date: 12 Jun 1796 Recorded in: Forden, Montgomeryshire, Wales Father: John BARRET Mother: Mary Source: FHL Film 992303 Dates: 1663 - 1833 The Cornelius Barrett you seek may well be: BARRET, Cornelius Christening Gender: Male Christening Date: 23 Apr 1786 Recorded in: Forden, Montgomeryshire, Wales Father: John BARRET Mother: Elizabeth Source: FHL Film 992303 Dates: 1663 - 1833 Possibly a cousin, or an elder brother by an earlier marriage, who may well have led poor young William astray! Upon checking the records for an earlier marriage of a John Barrett I find there is none at Forden who fit, so these marriages obviously took place at another parish. As the BVR disks also the IGI do not generally include deaths, the only way one can find out if this John senior married earlier (and whether Elizabeth died early), or whether there were two Johns would be to obtain the microfilm (as above) and view it at one at the LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) family history libraries at the cost of $5 Oz. I am unable to state that the following are all one family, though it would seem so. The only way to check this out is to apply for the microfilm of original registers. BARRET, George Chr 14 Dec 1788 Wales Mont Forden Fa: John BARRET Mo: Mary BARRET, Hannah Chr 20 Feb 1791 Wale Mont Forden Fa: John BARRET Mo: Mary BARRET, Penelope Chr 1 Dec 1793 Wale Mont Forden Fa: John BARRET Mo: Mary BARRET, Richard Chr 7 Jul 1799 Wales Mont Forden Fa: John BARRET Mo: Mary BARRET, Mary Chr 16 Aug 1801 Wales Mont Forden Fa: John BARRET Mo: Mary BARRETT, Richard Chr 7 Oct 1804 Wales Mont Forden Fa: John BARRETT Mo: Mary BARRETT, Mary Chr 10 Aug 1806 Wales Mont Forden Fa: John BARRETT Mo: Mary Again, unless there are two families here, it would appear that two children died in infancy and their names were then given to later born children. Apart from Cornelius, children born earlier to a John & Elizabeth are: BARRET, John Chr1776 Wales Mont Forden Fa: John BARRET Mo: Elizabeth BARRET, James Chr1781 Wale s Mont Forden Fa: John BARRET Mo: Elizabeth BARRET, Hannah Chr1783 Wale s Mont Forden Fa: John BARRET Mo: Elizabeth Assuming that my premise is correct that there was only the one John Barrett who married firstly, Elizabeth, then Mary, it would appear that this is he: BARRET, John Christening Gender: Male Christening Date: 8 Apr 1751 Recorded in: Forden, Montgomeryshire, Wales Father: John BARRET Mother: Penelope Source: FHL Film 992303 Dates: 1663 - 1833 Whose other children were: BARRET, John Chr 8 Apr 1751 BARRET, Mary Chr 24 Jun 1753 BARRET, Margaret Chr 20 Mar 1756 BARRET, George Chr 9 Oct 1757 BARRET, Margaret Chr 15 Nov 1760 BARRET, Penelope Chr 10 Jul 1763 BARRET, Anne Chr 27 Nov 1765 BARRET, Edward Chr 1 Nov 1766 BARRET, Thomas Chr 1 Nov 1766 BARRET, Richard Chr 20 Oct 1769 There is no marriage shown for John & Penelope at Forden. Obviously at another parish, or perhaps at a non-conformist church. Parishes within 9 miles radius worth looking at could be: (Taken from Parloc (Parish Locator) Parish Name Type,County,Country,Os Ref Distance & Direction =========== ========================= ==================== Berriew P MGY WLS SJ1800 2.5 West Bettws Cadewain P MGY WLS SO1296 6.7 West by South West Buttington P MGY WLS SJ2408 5.1 North by North East Castle Caereinion P MGY WLS SJ1605 4.9 North West Church Stoke P MGY WLS SO2794 4.9 South East Guilsfield P MGY WLS SJ2312 7.5 North Hyssington P MGY WLS SO3194 6.7 East by South East Kerry P MGY WLS SO1489 8.4 South West Llandyssil P MGY WLS SO1995 3.6 South by South West Llanfair-Caereinion P MGY WLS SJ1006 8.3 West by North West Llangyniew P MGY WLS SJ1208 8.0 North West Llanllwchaiarn P MGY WLS SO1194 7.8 West by South West Llanmerewig P MGY WLS SO1592 6.6 South West Mainstone P SAL ENG SO2787 8.6 South by South East Manafon P MGY WLS SJ1102 6.9 West Montgomery P MGY WLS SO2296 2.5 South Newtown P MGY WLS SO1192 8.4 South West Shelve P SAL ENG SO3398 6.9 East Snead P MGY WLS SO3192 7.5 South East Tregynon P MGY WLS SO0998 8.2 West Welshpool P MGY WLS SJ2207 4.3 North Worthen P SAL ENG SJ3204 6.7 East by North East SAL being Shropshire and MGY being Montgomeryshire in Wales. Good luck Graham Melbourne Oz