Hi: Some years ago, I discovered that Joseph Jenkins the Swagman was distantly related to me. I had heard of him. I can't say that I was happy to find him in my family tree, however. Before the 1860's, the only men in Wales who could vote were landowners. If you had freeholder behind your name you could vote. but if you didn't, you couldn't vote. Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister, changed that and said that all men, whether they owned property or not, could vote. The first election was the 1868 when William Gladstone of the liberal party became Prime Minister of England. The larger landowners came down on the small farmer telling them they had to vote THEIR way which was not for the liberal party.There was no secret ballot in those days so the landowners would know how the small farmers voted. If they voted against the landowners, they would be evicted from their land. Joseph Jenkins, the swagman, was paid by the large landowners to stop the small farmers from voting for the liberal party This was apparently before he went to Australia and probably was the reason he went.. Anyhow, one of those 90 farmers that got evicted from their land was my great grandfather, John Lloyd. If a relative hadn't found him a farm in Southern Cardiganshire, he would have come to America. But as it was, he had to leave the area where he had lived all his life. There are many stories like this in Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire. All the misery and suffering these big landowners caused the small farmer. I always felt sorry for Joseph Jenkins' wife when he fled to Australia. She had to carry on, taking care of the children and the farm. Annie