What a great timely reminder Barbara of those who chose to leave Lancashire and sail to the unknown, in the hope of a better life. My husband's possible GGrandfather - EDWARD "THOMAS" CLARK b. 1838 last seen in Lancashire in 1851 Census, living with his parents Labourer, THOMAS and Wife, ALICE nee WILKINSON CLARK in Lower Booths, aged 14 yrs., Bobbin Setter in Cotton Mill. Sailed to Victoria, Australia alone it seems, possibly as a deckhand - Arrived in the Goldfields around Heathcote about 1860. Thereafter, unable to read or write, struggled as a bush Labourer and Miner. Married a girl, Maria, a Servant, from London, in 1871 in Heathcote, Victoria, four children born to her in the Goldfields of Victoria, no Father named for three sons born before her Marriage, the last child, a girl born after wedlock died from a scalding accident aged 3 yrs. Maria Clarke remained a Domestic Servant in the Goldfields until her disappearance possibly to Melbourne, where she died alone. EDWARD "THOMAS" CLARKE the "e" added on arrival in Melbourne, Victoria, disappeared from his Marriage after this accident in 1877 and is thought to have worked on a property in Northern Victoria for approx.. 23 years, before being killed by the collapse of a dis-used Well, which he had built some years earlier, when the owner asked for it to be re-opened. His body was never recovered. The evidence of this man's life was he was known to be English, had worked on the Property for 23 years, possible family unknown. Two of Maria's sons survived to adulthood having changed their surnames to CLARKE. Whether EDWARD "THOMAS" CLARK was the Father, is unknown. However, second son, HENRY WILKINSON CLARKE's Christian names indicated the "Wilkinson" name could have been taken from "Thomas's" Mother's maiden name. The third son WILLIAM EDWARD CLARKE was my husband's Grandfather. MARIA's brother, HENRY WELCH, also ended up in the Victorian Goldfields, only to be killed by a landslide. The only evidence of any of the above, has come from surviving Victorian records, as the only clue as to EDWARD "THOMAS' CLARK's Lancashire history was his Marriage Cert. in which his name was THOMAS CLARKE, he stated he was a "Mariner" and his Father, Thomas Clarke, an Architect.....A complete stretch from the truth, but I found him anyway. The sons did not speak of their parents, however it was known through my Father in Law, son of William Edward Clarke, that "Thomas" had a brother, a Watchmaker, back home in Lancashire, England. THAT man was WILLIAM CLARK b. 1832 of 10 Oak Street, Rawtenstall who died in 1897. Perhaps he too had been looking for his brother, EDWARD THOMAS. EDWARD "THOMAS" CLARK and his wife MARIA WELCH may have chosen very different paths in life had they known the grim outcomes for so many who were lured into the rough and dangerous Goldfields, throughout the World during those times. Both had arrived paying their own way, to find that better life which had been promised to so many. Cheers, Robyn --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus