Marriages November 1791 Norfolk Island: Romance among the Pine Trees

Even though there are no official contemporaneous records of the actual marriages of November 1791 there are a vast collection of other primary sources which on evaluation, confirm the marriages performed by Johnson. The list of marriages have been collated by analysing the historical evidence in the Norfolk Island records and others, identifies couples who were married by Rev. Richard Johnson among the Pine Trees on Norfolk Island in November 1791. Research also showed that some couples were in fact married by Rev. Samuel Marsden later in 1795.

Philip Gidley King wrote: Several of the Settlers, requested my permission, to marry some of the best behaved Female Convicts. As I hoped that many good consequences would result from a connexion of that kind. I Gave them permission to make choose of these who were likeliest to behave well, and as the Reverend Mr Johnson Chaplain to the territory came here in the Atlantic. I requested him to marry them; Upwards of One Hundred Couple were married in the course of three days. Philip Gidley King, 12 November 1791, Norfolk Island

Romance among the Pine Trees includes the list of married couples and a biography on each couple from November 1791. This 36page A4 book is  fully index, includes reference citations and appendices of:

• Convicts who arrived on Norfolk Island March 1788.
• First Settlers on Norfolk Island – May 1791.
• Marine Settlers arriving aboard the Atlantic November 1791.
• Married women taken off the Stores May 1791 to 5 May 1792 Norfolk Island.
• Women listed as married in Women off the Stores 16 June 1794 Norfolk Island.
• Married landholders and number of children October 1796

Cost is $26.00 includes postage