LIST 29 - 1828 CENSUS - THE MISSING - DEUXIEME DIZAINE - NEW SOUTH WALES
No one can doubt the importance and significance of the 1828 Census as perhaps
'the' source document when considering matters to do with the history and genealogy of the early colony. As the first census of the infant settlement
it has always been popularly supposed to include all known inhabitants.
However during the course of the research into this book, it has become apparent
that there were many people who were certainly alive in November 1828 but
who did not appear in the census. Given the importance of the 1828 Census,
it was thought it might be a good idea to list those who were missing from it.This then is a "non list" in the sense that it is a listing about people who
are not listed.
The 1828 Census includes just over one quartre of the "Deuxieme Dizaine" (1,441
names), where are all the rest? It is known that 455 "Deuxieme Dizaine" members
died before November 1828. It is also known that 76 "Deuxieme Dizaine" members
left the colony before November 1828. A further 742 "Deuxieme Dizaine" members
have no known documentation other than their birth or arrival in the colony and these are presumed not to have survived childhood. The Census only concerned itself with New South Wales and it is known that 351 "Deuxieme Dizaine" members had either relocated to Van Diemens Land from Norfolk Island or were born there
(many of whom can be found in the Van Diemens Land musters of 1818, 1819 & 1822)
so these would not be expected to appear in the census either.
Table 29.1. - Pre 1828 SeparationsEvent No.
----------------------------death 455
departure 76
no documentation 742
Van Diemens Land 351
That leaves around 370 "Deuxieme Dizaine" members who might reasonably
have been expected to be included in the census but were not. As it turns out
there are 285 members of the "Deuxieme Dizaine" whom one might have thought
ought to be in the 1828 Census and were not. The remaining 84 either died,
left the colony or moved to Van Diemens Land without the fact being recorded
(or not yet located).
To be included in this "missing" list, a person had to have good evidence of actually being alive in November 1828 and not in Van Diemens Land. One obvious circumstance was a date of death later than the census. There are 66 "Deuxieme Dizaine" members who are known to have a death date after November 1828. Then
there are those who are known to have a colonial marriage after 1828 and
still others who are known to have the birth of a child in the colony after
1828. There were 136 of the former and 79 of the latter identified. Three
men are known to have started defacto relationships in 1829 and Jean Huon
is known to have left the colony in 1832.
Table 29.2. - Post 1828 EvidenceEvent No.
----------------------------death 66
marriage 136
child birth 79
The question that then comes to mind is why were all these people not included
in the census?
One obvious answer is that they were out of the colony at the time of the
census. John Lord is a case in point, he left the colony in 1816 for England
and did not return until 1829. Likewise Elizabeth Forster (Blaxland) did
not return to the colony until 1829. For others either their departure
is not recorded or not located as yet. Sarah Scarvell (Redmond) was known
to be at sea in November 1828.
In 1828 Sarah Bate was at Moreton Bay with her husband Lt Thomas Baimbridge.It would make an interesting study in itself to see if there were any common
characteristics among the recalcitrant, were they predominately Irish and
Catholic for instance?
In any case 285 "Deuxieme Dizaine" members (155 males and 130females) are
"missing" from the census or to put it another way 20% or a fifth more than
those who are listed. Notice that this is an improvement on the quarter
"missing" for the "First Generation", being older they obviously had greater
opportunities to absent themselves.
The information presented for each listing is: family name Christian nameyear of birth
parents' names
parents' civil status at the time of the child's birth parents' marital status at the time of the child's birth age at the time of the censuspost 1828 documentation.
Females have the added fields of:
marital status spouse name name as it should appear in the census.Since they were not listed in the census obviously the details of; religion,
occupation, place of residence, number of acres of land owned and name as it appears in the original document cannot be included. For the females the name
of their spouse and current marital status has been researched from other
sources and because of their marriages, their name as it 'should' appear in
the census has been listed, although as is known from the census itself, what
should appear and what actually appears are not necessarily the same thing!
The list is in alphabetical order; sorted firstly upon the father's surname
and secondly upon the child's Christian name.
The females have been separated from the males, mainly because of the greater
amount of details presented for the females.
The year of birth and parental details come as always from the Pioneer Register
Project.
The "age" of each entry was calculated by subtracting the year of birth from
1828. Unfortunately the years of birth of; George Board, Frederick Butler,
Eleanor Flood, George Peacock, John Robinson & Robert Weatherall are unknown.
The "post 1828 documentation" is the evidence that supports the fact that
the person was alive in 1828.
The "marital status" of the females is an assumption in some instances.
Where the woman is married it has been assumed she is still living with her husband and not separated, no instances of widows has been found. There were 37 presumed single women, the remainder being married and using their husbands's surname.
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