Dear Jane and Doug, If these records are true, as shown at: http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/indexes/searchform.aspx?id=6 SURNAME Firstname AGE EVENTS REMARKS VESSEL MONTH YEAR REEL McCRACKEN Mary 30 and family Ormuz Nov 1890 2143 McCRACKEN Agnes 8 and family Ormuz Nov 1890 2143 McCRACKEN Mary 7 and family Ormuz Nov 1890 2143 McCRACKEN Edward 5 and family Ormuz Nov 1890 2143 McCRACKEN Ethel 3 and family Ormuz Nov 1890 2143 McCRACKEN John 1 and family Ormuz Nov 1890 2143 McCRACKEN Elizabeth inft and family Ormuz Nov 1890 2143 then your John McCracken had to arrive at the absolute earliest November 1888 otherwise .......... someone got very lonely in Cuba ! The alternative is that he was known as C McCracken and worked as a fireman on board for a number of ships. You may be able to do some horse-trading by contacting Mary-Ann Warner: http://mariners.records.nsw.gov.au/search.htm After arriving they lived in Randwick and had one more child: SURNAME MCCRACKEN GIVEN NAME(S) RAYMOND L INDEX YEAR 1895 FATHER JOHN MOTHER MARY A PLACE OF REGISTRATION RANDWICK REGISTRATION YEAR 1895 REGISTRATION NUMBER 16170 Another possible explanation, he was seconded to Cuba as an employee of AGL then that could explain the gap in the kids 1890-1894. Another side-track. .... What year were the gas lights first turned on in Roma, Qld ? Perhaps he got off in Bribsane and sent the family to Sydney to be with relatives.... just a thought. Cheers, Tony Moore (Balgo, Western Australia) @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ On 8 Sep 2006 at 11:02, Doug Hinton wrote: Date sent: Fri, 8 Sep 2006 11:02:23 +1000 From: "Doug Hinton" <gregh2.doug@gmail.com> To: AUS-NSW-SYDNEY <AUS-NSW-SYDNEY-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: [ANS] McCRACKEN > Hi All > I'm chasing the name John McCracken. John was an engineer who > emigrated from Scotland via Cuba and USA around 1895. His family > arrived in Sydney on the ORMUZ in Nov 1895. John was not on the > passenger list. John, a gas meter engineer, established street > lighting in Cuba. While in Sydney, he continued his profession > apparently with the Australian Gas Company. > > Any information would be appreciated. > > Jane and Doug Hinton > Canberra > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUS-NSW-SYDNEY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message