PROLOGUE

 
 
I was obviously overly optimistic to think I could undertake one more decade for 
this project. The eight thousand odd  marriages  were barely   manageable,  the  
thirteen  thousand  odd  deaths   were something  more  of a challenge but the 
twenty six  thousand  odd births  were simply impossible to record and research 
on my  own. Getting the project to this point has taken the first five years of my 
retirement already. But  on the other hand it is rather nice to bring the project  
to the end of transportation to the colony.
 
This  is  the  fifth and first digital volume  in  my  series  on births,  deaths  
and marriages in the early colony of  New  South Wales. It covers the years 1831 
to 1840, the fifth decade of  the young colony's existence.
 
The reason for moving to a digital platform is quite simple, the numbers are 
just getting too large for a traditional paper print. The option of dividing 
the work into three separate volumes;  one each  for births, deaths and marriages 
was considered  but  again the  costs  of  three  publications  made  this  option  
just  as unaffordable.
 
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, 1837 and the "1828  Census of  New  South Wales" plus "The Pioneer  
Register"  and  "Convict Families Which Made Australia" projects. 
 
During  the fifth decade of the colony's existence the number  of convicts  sent 
to New South Wales was  22,243 (males  17,363  and females  4,880) just 94 less 
than in the previous decade. On  the other hand the number of free arrivals 
increased considerably but exact documentation of these numbers is hard to find.
 
The  various  and  numerous regiments who served  in  the  colony during this 
fifth decade are listed in the table below.
 
                Table p.1. Regiments Serving in Colony
 
           17th  Leicestershire                1830 - 1836
            4th  Kings Own                     1832 - 1837
           50th  West Kent                     1833 - 1841
           21st  Royal North British Fusiliers 1833 - 1839
           28th  North Gloucestershire         1835 - 1842  
           80th  Staffordshire Volunteers      1837 - 1844             
           51st  Yorkshire West Riding         1838 - 1846       
 
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 the fourth 
decade  there  were  8,502 births  against  5,325 deaths. In this fifth  decade  
there  were 26,072  births  against 13,170 deaths. Thus by the  end  of   the 
fifth  decade  the population of the colony can be  estimated  to have grown 
by at least 35,000 people(not counting free arrivals).
 
                    Table p.2. Demographics
 
           Decade          Male    Female     Births   Deaths     
           --------------------------------------------------
           1788-1800      6,023     1,374      1,800    1,820   
           1801-1810      3,310     1,282      3,142    1,414  
           1811-1820     15,414     1,867      6,081    2,037 
           1821-1830     19,480     2,695      8,502    5,325
           1831-1840     17,363     4,880     26,072   14,164 
                         ------    ------     ------   ------        
                         61,590    12,098     45,607   24,760
 
The number of births increased from the previous decade's 8,502
to  26,072 (more than tripled). This increase reflects the  fact that  despite  
the end of transportation the colony  was  now  an emigrant  destination  for 
Great Britain of  the  highest  order. Regretfully,   given  the  large  percentage   
of   untranscribed baptisms,  for this fifth decade the identification and  
analysis of the fathers and mothers would be meaningless.
 
The  number  of marriages increased to 8,326  from  the  previous decade's 3,130 
(again almost tripled). For this fifth decade  the rate of identification of 
the grooms decreased significantly from 91%  to  56% and for the brides from 
91% to  61%.  This  dramatic decrease  reflects the changing demographics of 
the  colony  with the  huge influx of free arrivals for whom the documentation  
has proved elusive.
 
A  sign  of the continuing improving morality of the  colony  was reflected in 
the fact that during the fifth decade the number  of illegitimate births  fell 
considerably from 15% to 6%.
 
The  number  of  deaths again almost tripled  from  the  previous decade (from 
5,325 to 13,170). For this fifth decade the rate  of identification  of  the  
deceased  decreased  from  83%  to   75% reflecting  the  same  problems  faced  
with  identifying  bridal couples.
 
Thus by the end of the fifth 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 over 100,000 people of all 
descriptions.  For  reasons already  mentioned the exact figure is hard to 
determine  because of  the  poorly  documented free arrivals. But in fact  the  
1841 Census  documented the population of New South Wales  as  101,749 persons 
confirming the estimation.
 
In conclusion I would like to suggest that one or several of  the genealogical 
societies throughout the state might like to form  a working  group  to  bring 
this series up to  1856,  the  time  of compulsory civil registration of births, 
deaths and marriages  in the colony. The task I am afraid has become just too 
onerous  for one lone individual.


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