Hi Wiggy,
But VDL in 1830 was a penal colony... and there in lies the difference between your Gran's marriage in Tasmania and your GGG Gran's marriage in Van Diemen's Land. Differences in time, in administration, and in colonial rule .... From my point of view, it is important to know of and have an understanding of the rules and practices of the "regime" in control at the time any event was recorded, so that with that knowledge it leads to knowing how to find the records of the forebear that lived under that "regime" and then construct an image of their lives. From my point of view, the specific day, month and year for their birth, marriage and death is important only in providing their limits. Its the time between those dates (the little line that the software programs show on tree charts as "-" ) that interests me. For example:
The Macquarie era was significant in Thomas Ransom's life at NI, and in his re-settlement in VDL ....
Bigge's report addressed in a significant way various issues in VDL under Macquarie's regime...
But Gov Arthur's era was significant in Thomas and Catharine's decade immediately before Thomas' death in 1829....
Yet both Macquarie's and Arthur's eras were penal administrations.
Your Gran's marriage may well have been decades and decades after Tasmania's governence moved on from penal times, into responsible self government, with elected rather than appointed decision makers.
I did not doubt that you believed me, Wiggy, and I am sure you must be rather tired of reading my postings about the importance of the primary records and not just the index number for those... Each of us has our own ways of researching, and helping others with their research, so I do hope you follow up on the leads from everyone who has contributed to the three threads about Catharine Christiana McNally.
Cheers,
Sincerely JM
