Thomas Challenor, son of William Challenor of Pitt Street, and Barbara Thompson; [NSW AUS]; Baptised: 5 Jun 1823, Baptised at Sydney [NSW AUS]; Registered at St Mary's Roman Catholic, Sydney, [NSW AUS]; Sponsor Michael Byrne, Original Remarks: Sponsor: Catherine Byrne: Sponsor: William Rowen: Sponsor: Catherine Evans [Biog Item No. 320210395]
Hi Everyone
I am doing research on the above who was married to my MICHAEL BYRNE of Sydney in 1822. I had been trying to find information on her for a long time as I could not find her under BYRNE or variants on the 1822 Muster.
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1823 5 June Michael and Catherine (Dunn) BYRNE witness/sponsors at the baptism of twins William and Thomas CHALLENOR, Pitt St Sydney.
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The BDA database has some info which I can confirm is similar to the info I gathered while researching back in the late 1970s.
My trusty notebook for that era is on loan, but my cousin has phoned me just now to confirm it has (I have read it back with careful regard to spelling etc) :
a baptism (not two babies, just one)
Thomas, a son for William CHALLENOR of Pitt Street and Barbara THOMPSON, baptised Sydney Town, and recorded in St Marys RC registers, with FOUR sponsors : Michael BYRNE, Catherine BYRNE, William ROWEN, Catherine EVANS. Date of baptism 5 June 1823.
Note, this baptism ceremony seems to have occurred in Sydney Town. There was a small chapel constructed for R.C. ceremonies from private funding, including from the rank and file of the 48th Regiment of Foot whose tour of duty as garrison forces in NSW and VDL concluded 1824, but some were being sent to India in 1821... Some of the 48th took their discharge in NSW, and MANY in the 48th were Roman Catholic. - See the late Clem Sargent's definitive book -
The Colonial Garrison, 1817-1824: The 48th Foot, the Northamptonshire Regiment in the Colony of New South Wales Re the small chapel - see the NSW State Library and NSW State Parliament archives. Also a short paragraph here:
https://www2.sl.nsw.gov.au/archive/discover_collections/history_nation/religion/catholics/cathedral/index.htmlJM