hi Nutkin, no idea. The story is- he worked as a Customs Clerk at Newhaven Harbour Sussex and was awarded a Royal Humane Society medal in 1886 trying to save a man, He then doesn't show in any further census but his wife turns up in 1891 in Broadmoor Asylum for the criminally insane. I then found the case in the Times. In May 1890 she cut the throats of her 3 children and her own 'tho she lived. She was found guilty and sentenced August 1890. All this was in Liverpool and my thought were that being Customs he might have tried for a new life ioverseas. The owner of the medal, although a descendant, knew nothing of this or why the medal was awarded. Logically he must have gone after August 8 1890 and before the 1891 census date (April?) Any info gratfully received. She died in 1900. So obviously he sailed (if he did) alone. Pete