PROLOGUE

 
 
This is the fourth volume in my series on births, deaths and marriages 
in the early colony of New South Wales. It covers the years 1821 to 1830, the 
fourth decade of the young colony's existence.
 
A major difference in this fourth volume is the absence of data from Van Diemens 
Land. The explanation is quite simple, the numbers are just getting too 
large for one person to manage alone. One justification for this decision 
is the fact that Van Diemens Land separated from the parent colony in 1825 to 
become a separate administrative entity. Perhaps the Tasmanian 
genealogical community might like to take up the challenge and continue the 
series for that state.
 
Great things can be accomplished when riding on the shoulders of giants. Just 
as "The Pioneer Register" project was instrumental in providing information 
for my previous series "Born in the English Colony" and just as the finishing 
of that project in 1820 meant the series came to an end, so too the "1828 
Census of New South Wales" which was conducted in November 1828 was 
instrumental in providing information for my current series and so too without 
its invaluable support, this series comes to an end. 
 
This series of books combines the data in the church registers with data 
from the shipping indents, the early colonial musters of 1802, 1806, 1811, 1814, 
1822, 1825 and the "1828 Census of New South Wales".
 
During the forth decade of the colony's existence the number of convicts sent 
to New South Wales was 22,337 (males 19,480 and females 2,857) around 5,000 
more than in the previous decade. The number of free arrivals also increased 
considerably but exact documentation of these numbers is hard to find.
 
The various and numerous regiments who served in the colony during this 
forth decade are listed in the table below.
 
 Table p.1. Regiments Serving in Colony
 
 48th Northamptonshire 1817 - 1824
 3rd East Kent - The Buffs 1823 - 1827
 40th Somerset 1824 - 1829
 57th West Middlesex 1825 - 1832
 39th Dorsetshire 1827 - 1832
 63rd West Suffolk 1829 - 1833
 17th Leicestershire 1830 - 1836
 
In the first 'decade' there were 1,800 births but 1,820 deaths. In the second 
decade the corresponding figures were 3,142 births against 1,414 deaths. In 
the third decade there were 6,081 births against 2,820 deaths. In this forth 
decade there were 8,502 births against 5,325 deaths. Thus during the forth 
decade the population of the colony can be estimated to have grown by over 
27,000 people.
 
The number of births increased from the previous decade's 6,081 to 8,502 (38%). 
This increase is much lower than the virtual doubling of the previous decade 
and reflects the fact that the colony was no longer the tightly controlled 
settlement confined to the original thirteen counties. The crossing of the 
Blue Mountains and the settlement of the upper Hunter region as well as the 
new settlements in Port Macquarie and Moreton Bay put an increasing number 
of people beyond the frontiers, outside of government and bureaucratic 
surveillance. A truly comprehensive accounting of all births in the colony 
would have to await the introduction of compulsory registration in 1856. For 
this forth decade the rate of identification of the fathers rose from 74% to 
86%. Conversely the rate of identification of the mothers also fell from 77% 
to 71%. The great majority of the unknown being for the years 1829 and 1830.
 
The number of marriages increased to 3,130 from the previous decade's 1,920 
(62%). Unlike the births mentioned above this figure probably reflects the 
true incidence as a clergyman's presence would be required. For this forth 
decade the rate of identification of the grooms decreased slightly from 94% 
to 91% and for the brides from 93% to 91%.
 
A sign of the improving morality of the colony was the fact that during the 
forth decade the number of illegitimate births fell considerably from 26% to 
15%. 
 
The number of deaths almost exactly doubled from the previous decade but 
again for reasons explained in the case of births, the true figure was probably 
much higher. For this forth decade the rate of identification of the deceased 
increased from 75% to 83% reflecting the better documentation of the deaths 
in the parish registers.
 
Thus by the end of the forth decade of the colony's existence it can be estimated, 
using the arrival, birth and death figures as explained in this series of 
books, that the population should have been around 60,000 people of all 
descriptions (although the 1828 Census lists only 36,598 persons). What could 
be the reason for this discrepancy? One can only assume that either; many more 
convicts departed the colony on completion of their sentences than has 
generally been assumed, or there were many more unrecorded deaths in 
the colony, or the bureaucracy was very incompetent and negligent in 
conducting the census. In all probability, the discrepancy is a result of 
a combination of all three causes.
 
In conclusion I would like to suggest that one or several of the genealogical 
societies might like to form a working group to bring this series up to 
the 1850's at the time of compulsory civil registration of births, deaths 
and marriages. The task I am afraid has become just too large for one lone 
individual.

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