Hi All , My family tree is starting to take shape. My G G Sarah McSHANE/SHENE brn abt 1848 in county Amagh Ierland, has lead to lots of Questions. First of all I have not been able to find her coming to Australia from Ireland to Queensland. While speaking to one of my Uncles he mentioned she may have been sent to Australia as a convict , but I have found no evidence of this as yet . He also said she may have been involved in a ship wreck off the coast of Nth QLD . Where her first child James was born at Port Denison now days called Bowen , where she may have been staying in Quarantine. Research from indexes(BD&M) for Sarah McShane reveals she had a baby 14Jul1865 father not stated.Then she marries John Riddle 27Jan1871 (index no 57.71 Qld), has another baby called John Riddle born on 27Sep1871 (index no 71/0007 Qld) and her husband dies in 1871 (index no 173.71 Qld).I cant find any further information on their child John RIDDLE. Sarah Riddle then re-marries Simon Kranz, brn 1828 in Johannisberg Prussia, on 11Jun1872 in Brisbane ( index no 3599/72 Qld) and has another baby, John Laurence on 30Jun1873 (index no 73/008 Qld) and then her husband dies again in 1875 (index no 488/75 Qld). I have a copy of John Laurance 's Birth Certif (born at Drayton, Toowoomba ) where it states that Sarah Mc SHANE was 25 years old in June of 1873. John Laurance and his older brother James both use the family name KRANZ and later start spelling their names as CRANS instead of KRANZ . John Laurance CRANS married Mary Jane BLACK in 1897 at Drayton and they have a child Eric Oswald CRANS . And I wonder if this was their only child ? Eric Oswald CRANS marries Alice Elise TEMPLEMAN abt 1921 in QLD . And I cant get much further on this line either. I have spoken to all the family members I know that still spell their name as CRANS but no one can remember an Eric Oswald and Alice . Sarah KRANZ Then re-married Adam SCHUSTER..30.01.1877 .REG, 1877/000228.. Sarah's maiden name was also spelt...McShene..Adam Schuster and Sarah had an unnamed male child on 4.3.1877... Adam Schuster and Sarah McShene suffered the death of child Adam Schuster on 23.03.1879... There ends the trail again for my Sarah Mc SHANE , RIDDLE, KRANZ, SCHUSTER . Just to summarize my questions to the list . 1. Does anyone have Sarah McSHANE as a Convict or Passenger to Australia / Queensland / Port Denison ? Or any ship wrecks off the coast of QLD in 1865? My research revealed the following ships at Port Denison in 1865 :MARYBOROUGH .. .. 1865 Port Denison ... ... .. .. .... PL M1710 (col/12) ... ... ... ... ... ... MARYBOROUGH 20 05 1865 Port Denison Liverpool .. .. .... JA ... ... Typescript medical report; picture of ship; newspaper articles . But I have no passenger list . 2. Simon KRANZ left Johannisberg 17 APR 1857 possibly through the Port of Hamburg to Australia. Also possibly to join a cousin Casper KRANZ who went to Australia in 1855 and lived around Crows Nest QLD. Does anyone know where I could find how and on which ship Simon KRANZ came to Australia? 3. Does anyone have any information on John Riddle brn 27Sep1871 (index no 71/0007 Qld) ? 4. Did John Laurance & Mary Jane CRANS have any more children other than Eric Oswal CRANS ? 5. Did Eric & Alice CRANS have any children ? 6. Did Sarah & Adam SCHUSTER have any more children ? and did Sarah Mc SHANE /SHENE , RIDDLE , KRANZ , SHUSTER marry again and where did she die ? As Adam was husband nr 3 maybe there is a husband nr 4. ? As a matter of interest I am descended from Sarahs first child James ( father unknowen ) but on his marriage certif it says Father: Simon KRANZ Mother: Sarah McSHANE . James CRANS married Maria Augusta KARGER of Oakey QLD and they lived in Roma QLD where they had 12 Children. Half of the children spell their name KRANZ the other half CRANS and on some birth certif it says both spellings of the name My family tree is starting to look like soap story , Bold & Beautiful eat your heart out . As I live in Amsterdam, The Netherlands I am finding it hard to get any further information and I have drained all the family resources. Family feuding and secrets drove most of the family apart and a lot of family records were lost in a big fire in Roma. There are many stories as to why the family started spelling their name CRANS ( Religion & German decent seem most likely) but no one really knows. As I can remember my Grandfather ( Reginald Arthur KRANZ/CRANS) telling me there were a lot of things " just not talked about " in those days , but maybe someone can help me with my loose ends. If anyone is needing information from The Netherlands I would be help to help in exchange ! Sorry my post is so long but I thought I'd get all my info together before asking all the questions separately or wasting anyones time looking for information I already have . Thanks in Advance Michelle KRANZ m_kranz@dds.nl KRANZ , CRANS , McSHANE/SHENE , RIDDLE , SCHUSTER , KARGER , BLACK , FALLON , WALKER , BROWN . SURAWSKI , BOOMER