Hi Maria I see your predicament. On the Free BMD there are 47 John Richards marrying a Mary between March 1855 and Dec 1857. None of them, as I recall, within Shropshire. Nothing much on the British Vital Records either, and of course the IGI shows a vast array of couples who probably don't fit. Some couples who might fit are those married in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, etc. close by. But then, no point ignoring the fact that if John was intending to come to Australia he might have gone up to Liverpool to ship off as was the intention of many Shropshire folk and met his Mary there, or even down to London and married there! Again, there are some in the Free BMD and the IGI who might fit at or around 1856 in both areas. I am also wondering if on the Australian death certificate the 14 years of marriage might have been misinterpreted or miswritten? Considering the age of John, born 1812, could it be that the marriage length might have been 24 years and not 14? Though I expect you could work that out to your satisfaction by checking on the children's ages at the time of Mary's death. Anyway, just a thought. Cheers Graham Melbourne.