Find your ancestors in South Australia, Catholic Baptisms 1840-1863

SOUTH AUSTRALIA, CATHOLIC BAPTISMS 1840-1863

Do you have Catholic ancestry in South Australia?

Early South Australian Catholic baptism records can be useful, as Catholics often failed to register births prior to 1875. Prior to this date, parents were under no obligation to register births and Catholics were actively encouraged not to do so. A loophole in the legislation meant that if a birth was not registered within six months it could no longer be registered and no fine was applicable.

In 1874 legislation corrected this problem and parents then faced a fine for failure to register regardless of the time lapse beyond the 42-day window to register a birth.

The following information may be recorded for each entry:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Father’s name
• Mother’s name
• Registration number
• Date of Baptism
• Place of Baptism
• Name of sponsors
• Name of Clergyman
• Civil Registration

This is a great genealogy tool for anyone exploring their family history or building a family tree.

Data provided by Graham Jaunay. www.jaunay.com