LIST 8 - BAPTISMS - ST JOHNS LAUNCESTON

 
 
The fifth church to be established in the colony was St Johns at Port Dalrymple 
(Launceston) in Van Diemens Land. St Johns contains the details of 49 
baptisms recorded for children born between 1801 and 1810. 
 
The information recorded for each child includes: 
 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 
 reference number
 
The list is presented in chronological order by date of baptism then 
alphabetically by father's surname. 
 
With regard to the fathers, the names of five were not recorded and the arrival 
details of a further nine remain unknown.
 
With regard to the mothers, the names of two were not recorded and the arrival 
details of a further fourteen remain unknown.
 
It should be noted that considerably more information is presented than 
will be found in the original church register, being the result of decades 
of research, principally associated with the Pioneer Register Project. Arrival 
data for the parents were rarely recorded in the original documents nor was 
their marital status.
 
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. 
 
The reference number would direct the reader to the relevant entry in the 
original source document.
 
Even though the settlement at Port Dalrymple in Van Diemens Land was founded 
in 1804, no clergyman visited the settlement until the Reverend Knopwood did 
so in 1811, which took place in late February/early March of that year. Rev 
Knopwood did not record the dates of birth thus the assumption has been made 
that, with one known exception, the 43 baptisms recorded refer to children 
born between 1801 and 1810. Later research may lead to more of the birthdates 
being verified. 
 
The Rev Knopwood next visited the settlement in 1814 when two more baptisms 
for births in the relevant decade were identified. In the 1820's three more 
were identified.
 
Joseph Easton was baptised in 1834 aged twenty four but there is a possibility 
he may in fact have been a convict. Henry Dowling was baptised in 1856 aged 
forty six, but he was born in England and his arrival details are unknown.
 
The list contains the baptisms of three native children.
 
Entries on this list have the reference identifier "SJL" 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 baptism would be retrieved, secondly using 
the appropriate date, the baptism would be located on this list and finally 
an alphabetical search on the name would be made on the baptismal date if 
there should be more than one entry for that date. 

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