Choosing the right records to buy

[Eric Hatfield]

I am researching my great grandfather here in Australia. I know his name (Allan McDonald) and, marriage (1870) and children. I think he emigrated here from Scotland about 1850. I am trying to verify his parents and birth.

The difficulty is that the online records (Ancestry, Family Search and Victorian BDM) give scant details, so that I can identify several possible emigrations and several possible deaths, both of which might give me his parents names. A number of Ancestry trees give his birth location and date but none of them that I have found provide any sources - they all seem to reference other trees.

I could purchase certificates, but they cost $20 each, and I'd need to purchase about half a dozen, and then I still wouldn't be sure that have the info I want or that one of them is him.

So does anyone know which Victorian certificates (if any) would give me the information I need - marriage or death or one of his children's marriage?

Thanks

[wivenhoe]

Look at this document -
http://www.jaunay.com/bdm.html

to see what information was ever recorded on a BDM record, in a particular state, at a particular time.

A marriage record, Victoria, 1870, will record good information about the bride and groom. They are giving information about themselves, which is not the case with eg a death certificate.

[Eric Hatfield]

That's super helpful, thanks.

[Eric Hatfield]

On the basis of your info, I purchased Allan's marriage certificate (the only information about him I was confident of) and it did indeed tell me his age, his parents and his birthplace. So well worth it! It turns out many of the trees on Ancestry are wrong - I think they have all copied each other.

Thanks again.

[Eric Hatfield]

I have another question please.

Your list for marriages in Victoria shows what is available since 1853 (which I think was when Victoria became a separate colony from NSW). Do you know what is entered on a certificate in 1844 please? I have searched, but haven't found it. I would love to see a smaple certificate.

Thanks.

[Neale1961]

Eric, I believe that before registration in Victoria (1853), you would be looking at a church record. A baptism for example. What detail was recorded would depend entirely on the church cleric of that Parish.
Added - This might be of use.
https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/victorianancestors/church

[maddys52]

Compulsory civil registration started in NSW in 1856. Prior to this marriage records would come from the relevant church registry. NSW BDM has transcriptions of early church records, though the information contained on the transcription may not be the whole of the information contained on the actual registry entry. There is a thread on here by the wonderful majm about this - I'll try to link.

Modified to add:
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,546609.0.html

Also of interest:
https://www.nsw.gov.au/births-deaths-marriages/about-us/history-of-registry