Hello, It looks like I posted my original query more than 10 yrs. ago.    But, to this date I still have not found or received any additional details about James CLARK or CLARKE.     He is one of my "concrete-block walls put together with reinforced cement."    No one knows where he was born or when he was born.    We only have tidbits of information.   He was in Rhode Island in ~1827, and married in a nearby Massachusetts town in 1829.    Because the young widow was born in 1800, we can only guess he was born somewhere around 1800.     "Rhoda" had 3, young children, and then she had a daughter with James.  Then he disappeared. More than 10 yrs. ago I found a descendant of Rhoda, and she found this record: James CLARK, Rank: Greenhand, Ship Name: OCEAN Port of Registry: New Bedford, Whaling Ground: INDIAN Departure Date: 12/31/1844; Return Date: 11/7/1848 Remarks: DESERTED AT SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, 9/18/1845 .. At ~5 am this morning  (New England), I was just browsing the Digest of this List.  And I saw a note that there might have been a record for the arriving deserters in the 1840's / 1850's.   Is this possible? I also noticed there is a record of people leaving NSW after 1852.  I did a quick search and found the name James CLARK or CLARKE mentioned many times, but none were of the correct age  (over Age 50). If I remember from 10 yrs. ago, researchers suggested it would be almost impossible to find any information on this James CLARK.  I'm wondering if this is still true. Thank you for your time. Betty        (near Lowell, MA, USA) (on Lists and Boards for 14 yrs.;  now an Admin for 11 Lists and 5 Boards) P.S.  I probably mentioned before that James and Rhoda's daughter, Mary Anna CLARK, b~1837 MA, grew up to marry John DEXTER from Connecticut.   In ~1885 they moved from CT to MA, and in ~1890 they took in a baby girl.  They adopted her in 1892.  They renamed her to Mary Anna Clark DEXTER.  That little girl grew up to become my grandmother. (My educated-assumption is that the DEXTER's married daughter in CT had a pregnancy outside of her marriage.  And, her parents took in the infant.  Old photos show a strong family-resemblance.)

Betty, Don't know if you have contacted to whaling museum, but they might be able to help. New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740 | 508-997-0046 http://www.whalingmuseum.org/ Since searching their website brings up the listing that you have for James Clark having deserted the "Ocean" in Sydney NSW and gives the following listing for that whaling voyage by the "Ocean" * 1845, Jan - 1848, Nov. Sailing from New Bedford, MA to Indian. Sent home 1725 Sperm, 138 Whale, 0 Bone * Works Progress Administration. Whaling Masters: Voyages 1731-1925. New Bedford, MA: Old Dartmouth Historical Society, 1938. Annotated copy located at the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library, New Bedford, MA. * Hegarty, Reginald B. Addendum to "Starbuck" and "Whaling Masters": New Bedford Customs District. New Bedford, MA: New Bedford Free Public Library, 1964. * Starbuck, Alexander. History of the American Whale Fishery from its Earliest Inception to the Year 1876. 1876. Reprinted Secaucus, NJ: Castle Books, 1989. * Batchelder, Charles F. Whaleship Index. New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library, New Bedford, MA, 1960. Card file. * Wood, Dennis. "Abstracts of Whaling Voyages, 1831-1873." Microfilm copy from the original manuscript held by the New Bedford Free Public Library, New Bedford, MA, 1981. * Ludlow, Elias. Journal of a voyage on an unidentified whaler, 1806-1807. Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities, Sag Harbor, NY. Cheers, Elaine TAS Descendant in Reno, NV On Tuesday, October 7, 2014 2:52 AM, Ms Betty Fredericks via <aus-nsw@rootsweb.com> wrote: Hello, It looks like I posted my original query more than 10 yrs. ago. But, to this date I still have not found or received any additional details about James CLARK or CLARKE. He is one of my "concrete-block walls put together with reinforced cement." No one knows where he was born or when he was born. We only have tidbits of information. He was in Rhode Island in ~1827, and married in a nearby Massachusetts town in 1829. Because the young widow was born in 1800, we can only guess he was born somewhere around 1800. "Rhoda" had 3, young children, and then she had a daughter with James. Then he disappeared. More than 10 yrs. ago I found a descendant of Rhoda, and she found this record: James CLARK, Rank: Greenhand, Ship Name: OCEAN Port of Registry: New Bedford, Whaling Ground: INDIAN Departure Date: 12/31/1844; Return Date: 11/7/1848 Remarks: DESERTED AT SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, 9/18/1845 .. At ~5 am this morning (New England), I was just browsing the Digest of this List. And I saw a note that there might have been a record for the arriving deserters in the 1840's / 1850's. Is this possible? I also noticed there is a record of people leaving NSW after 1852. I did a quick search and found the name James CLARK or CLARKE mentioned many times, but none were of the correct age (over Age 50). If I remember from 10 yrs. ago, researchers suggested it would be almost impossible to find any information on this James CLARK. I'm wondering if this is still true. Thank you for your time. Betty (near Lowell, MA, USA) (on Lists and Boards for 14 yrs.; now an Admin for 11 Lists and 5 Boards) P.S. I probably mentioned before that James and Rhoda's daughter, Mary Anna CLARK, b~1837 MA, grew up to marry John DEXTER from Connecticut. In ~1885 they moved from CT to MA, and in ~1890 they took in a baby girl. They adopted her in 1892. They renamed her to Mary Anna Clark DEXTER. That little girl grew up to become my grandmother. (My educated-assumption is that the DEXTER's married daughter in CT had a pregnancy outside of her marriage. And, her parents took in the infant. Old photos show a strong family-resemblance.) ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to AUS-NSW-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message