LIST 14 - BAPTISMS - ST JAMES PITT TOWN

 
 
St James Pitt Town was separated from St Matthews Windsor in 1825, becoming 
the 13th Church of England parish established in the colony. There were 34 
baptisms performed during the years 1826 to 1830, although 4 refer to children 
born before 1821, plus 23 performed after 1830 for children born between 
the years 1821 and 1830. On average there was about one baptism performed 
every ten weeks over the decade.
 
The information recorded for each child is exactly as described for the post 
1826 presentation of St Phillips Sydney in List 3.
 
The list is presented in chronological order by date of baptism then 
alphabetically by father's surname. 
 
With regard to the fathers; the arrival details of two remain unknown.
 
Twenty two were convicts or former convicts (39%), eight came free (14%) 
and 24 were colonial born (42%).
 
With regard to the mothers; the name of one was not recorded and the arrival 
details of two remain unknown.
 
Eight were convicts or former convicts (14%), 13 came free (23%) and 34 were 
colonial born (60%).
 
Seventeen (30%) of the births were illegitimate.
 
The Rev Mathew Devenish Meares was appointed as the chaplain to the districts 
of Pitt Town, Sackville Reach and Wilberforce on the 1st August 1825.
 
Rev Meares stayed at the parish of St James until 1836 when he was replaced 
by the Rev John Espie Kean.
 
The records for the year 1825 have been lost. The first existing recorded 
baptism was performed on the 7th February 1826 by the Rev Meares.
 
An interesting mystery surrounding Rev Meares, why did he describe himself 
as a clerk when baptizing two of his own children?
 
When the new standardized registers were introduced in 1826 the information 
recorded for each baptism was; date of baptism, date of birth, Christian name 
of child, Christian and family name of father, Christian name of mother (family 
name only when the child was illegitimate), the place of residence of the 
family, quality or profession of the father and minister performing the 
ceremony.
 
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.
 
Entries on this list have the reference identifier "SJPT" 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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