LIST 6 - BAPTISMS - NORFOLK ISLAND
This third 'primary source' list contains the details of 390 baptisms for
children born at Norfolk Island between 1789 and 1800, 169 males and 221 females.
The information recorded for each child includes:
reference number date of baptism date of birth Christian name father's Christian name father's family name father's year of arrival in the colony father's ship of arrival in the colony father's status upon arrival in the colony mother's Christian name mother's maiden name mother's year of arrival in the colony mother's ship of arrival in the colony mother's status upon arrival in the colony parent's civil status at the time of the child's birth parent's marital status at the time of the child's birth parent's year & country/church of marriage where applicable The list is presented in chronological order by date of birth.
There were other children on Norfolk Island during the period under
consideration who were either born at Port Jackson or overseas, but they
are not on this list and their details are found elsewhere in this work. When
the musters for Norfolk Island come to be examined these children will also
come to notice. Included on the list are nine children who were born on Norfolk
Island but subsequently christened at Port Jackson, these have been identified
with an asterix '*', there may well have been more. This reduces the
contribution of those born on Norfolk Island to the First Generation to 381.
The completeness of this list of course is dependent upon the thoroughness
of the source documents consulted.These Norfolk Island births account for 19% of the First Generation.
There were eighteen children who were baptized on Norfolk Island by the Reverend
Henry Fulton who was the residence chaplain on the island between 1801 & 1806.
Unfortunately the original source document for these baptisms has not been
consulted and as a result the date of baptism is not recorded. For this reason
they have been included on this list and not the baptismal list and are
identified with a double asterix '**'.
The Reverend James Bain visited the island in November 1791 and is known to
have performed several marriages. No doubt he would also have performed baptisms for those whose desired them but the records for neither has so far been located.
In 14 cases the father is unknown and in rather fewer cases (7) the mother
is unknown. In the cases of John Turner and Hannah Walsh both their father
and their mother are unknown. A child born to Mary Fox in 1796 was not named.
Three men had sons who were unnamed; William Connolly in 1791, Thomas Berry
in 1793, Thomas Jamieson in 1796.Where the father's surname has a second name separated by a slash '/', the surname
after the slash is how the name was spelt in the original document or if second
name is substantially different it refers to an alias. Where the mother's surname
has a second name separated by a slash, the surname after the slash is her
married name at the time of the recording being made if she was married more
than once.
In several cases, a name for the father or mother may be known but not the
details of that person's arrival in the colony. The parent may have been using
an alias or the name may have been transcribed incorrectly, in either case
their true identity awaits clarification.
Table 6.1. - Norfolk Island Births Total Males Females Convict Convict Legitimate Illegitimate
Father Mother
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1789 4 1 3 2 4 0 4
1790 14 6 8 8 3 3 11
1791 37 19 18 22 31 8 29
1792 46 22 24 28 43 27 19
1793 35 17 18 20 33 12 23
1794 57 20 37 39 53 25 32
1795 44 21 23 28 38 14 31
1796 37 14 23 27 38 14 23
1797 11 3 8 9 9 3 8
1798 30 9 21 22 27 11 19
1799 29 15 14 19 22 9 20
1800 12 5 7 11 11 6 6
unknown 34 17 17 17 25 10 24
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Totals 390 169 221 252 337 142 249
Percentages 43.3% 56.7% 64.4% 86.2% 36.7% 63.3%
The percentage of convict mothers is higher for the simple reason that the great majority of women who were in the colony in the first twelve years arrived
as convicts. The percentage of male convicts was diluted to some extent
principally by the soldiery and to a lesser extent by the officials.Unfortunately the year of birth is unknown in 34 cases. Notice the large
difference between male and female births; males were 43% and females 57%.The illegitimacy rate of almost two thirds is regrettable but explainable
by the fact the for most of the history of the island their was no residence
chaplain.
Entries on this list have the reference identifier "NI" on List 1. To locate
an entry on this list; firstly an alphabetical search on the name would be
made on List 1 from which the date of birth would be retrieved, secondly using the appropriate date, the birth would be located on this list and finally
an alphabetical search on the name would be made on the birth date if there
should be more than one entry for that date which would certainly be the case of only the birth year is known.
The abbreviations used in this list are explained below:
d = defacto m = married CF = came free GS = government servant (convict) FS = free by servitude (emancipist) AP = free by absolute pardon CP = free by conditional pardon EX = exile NE = never emigrated -- = unknownEng = England
Ire = Ireland
Sct = Scotland
Wal = Wales
Dvn = Devonshire
NI = Norfolk Island
SJP = St Johns Parramatta
SPS = St Phillips Sydney
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