Baptisms and Marriages pre-1824
Identifer
ASJ2025.17Physical Description
Facsimile - original held cat. LMSS0012/4/1j Browne papers - uncertain whether Libraries Tasmania, QVMAG or other.
There are not systematic and continuous records of religious events, including baptisms, marriages and burials, predating the establishment of St. John’s Church. There is some evidence of such events, but our earliest listing dates from 1811, mainly covering that year and 1815, but with a reference to 1815. The listing suggests this was a summary prepared by Revd. Robert Knopwood, perhaps from his own papers, and has come down to us through the papers of Revd. W.H. Browne, rector from 1828 to 1868. Knopwood lived on until 1838, and it is quite possible that he prepared this list at Browne’s request.
Historical Details
Before St. John’s Church was built, and before the appointment of Revd John Youl as chaplain to the settlement, Christian ministry was haphazard and occasional. Revd Robert Knopwood was the only clergyman in Van Diemens Land from 1803, and rarely made the difficult journey north. A small portion of his records, mainly from 1811, has survived, showing numerous baptisms and marriages over a very short period around March that year, and again in 1814. On 4th March, he solemnised 7 marriages, baptising 4 children of one of the couples the same day, and a few days later, on 9th March 1811, he baptised another 18 children! This reflected the de-facto situation. People had married informally, and children were born, so there was a backlog whenever a clergyman arrived.Materials
paperDating of Item
1811-1814Database Date: Faculty Date:
19 August 2025;