My family line, in any direction, comes from England and Ireland. All those ancestors made a journey, sometime in the last two hundred years across the seas to Australia. One came as a stonemason, bringing his family from Somerset to find a better life in the colony of NSW. Another was sent as a convict from Ireland, for the crime of stealing clothing. A brave young woman from Bedford came as a companion for a married couple and their children. An enterprising young man came from Hampshire. A poor farming couple immigrated from Yorkshire, and so on.
Another couple from Cornwall ran away to be married on the Island of Jersey in 1858, then two months later sailed from Plymouth on the Fitzjames as a bounty immigrant to NSW. Their first child was born in a tent beside Sydney Harbour. Later they became successful business people in a bustling country town. When we traveled through England and Ireland a few years ago we visited the towns these people had left behind. The young woman who ran off to married, then immigrated to Australia came from Pentewan Cornwall, or Mevagissey, which is close by. Her journey began here, perhaps taking a small boat out to Jersey to be married.
Mevagissey, Cornwall
looking out to sea
My great-great-grandmother Amelia’s journey started here, my journey to rediscover her ended here!
Robert Rice and Amelia Solomon married in 1858 and immigrated to Australia
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Great story and pictures! I dream of going to Cornwall someday!!
“All those ancestors made a journey,
sometime in the last two hundred years
across the seas to Australia…”
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congrats for your roots-searching!
Great entry for the topic Journey my friend 🙂
Beautiful story with wonderful photographs. Very nice interpretation of this week’s theme. 🙂
I love Cornwall, we used to drive down almost every weekend from Essex! Thanks for the memories.
Cornwall is lovely!
Fabulous entry! It’s amazing to search family history and even more amazing to find the links. This looks quite an adventure, they had amazing courage and determination to journey so long and far for a new life in Australia.
it was a labour of love .. when my mother died i realised we were about to lose it all, so had a bee in my bonnet to discover all i could! i am full of admiration for them all 🙂
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Fantastic to trace your roots in this way, Christine – to go and visit the places of your ancestors’ provenance must be a wonderful experience
it is bluebee, i spent about 5 years studying all the ancestral links, a fun and profitable experience, then we went visiting all over England, Scotland and Ireland!
Christine it’s wonderful to hear about your journey to my country, who knows we my share some Celtic roots!
An interesting post. Thank you for sharing some of your family history with us.
wonderful story and photos. Thank you for sharing your history, a great journey.
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