William Yorston is my husband Robert's G/G/G Grandfather and I have a bit of information about William and his children, also his parents, his great grand-parents, photos, death certificates, census.
William Yorston born abt 1793 Dunbar, East Lothian; married Mary Ann Cowley (1793-1851) at Old Church, St Pancras, London on 21/11/1819. They had 7 children - Sophia 1820-1892; Eleanor 1822-; Robert 1823-; William Grierson 1827-1906; Margaret 1830-1915; Alexander 1834-; Catherine 1835-1919 (Catherine is Robt's G/G Grandmother). The 1841 census has Wm living in St Pancras, London with wife Mary Ann and 4 of their children - Eleanor, William, Alexander and Catherine. The 1851 census has Wm living at Camden Town and a widow. His son Alexander and two daughters Catherine and Margaret Roberts and son in law Edward Roberts and grandson Edward Roberts who is 18mths old.
William arrived in Sydney 31/7/1854 on the ship "Racer" and also on the ship were Margaret and her husband Edward Roberts and their two sons Edward and Walter Roberts and Catherine Yorston.
( note - Two years earlier Margaret and Edward and their son Edward came out to Australia on the ship "Will Watch" which left London on 29/9/1852 and arrived on 4/5/1853. I have no record of when they arrived back in London)
In April 1856 William and the Roberts family (by then they had 3 sons Edward, Walter and William) arrived in Wellington on board the ship "Mimmie Duke".
William lived in Wellington and died on the 12 Aug 1881 at Mt View Asylum. William is buried at Bolton Street Historical Cemetery. (there are family members buried there as well)
His wife Mary Ann Cowley was born on 16/10/1793 in St Pancras, London and baptised on 4/11/1793 at Old Church, St Pancras. Mary Ann died 19/1/1851 in St Pancras. Her father was William Cowley (1772-1843) and mother Sophia Bean (1772-1861). I have more info of her family as well.
William's father - Robert Yorston (1773-1837) and mother Helen Smith (1768-1820)
William's grandparents - James Yorston (1751-) and Mary Craig (1751-)
G/Grandparents William Yorston (1727-) and Mary Duncan (1728-)
G/G Grandparents Robert *Yorkston/Yorston (1700-) and Isobell Gray (1706-)
* some ancestry members spelt it Yorkston.
I have a lot more info I can give on William and Mary Ann's children, especially their two daughters Margaret and Catherine as besides Margaret, Catherine also emigrated to Wellington.
I have photos of Margaret and her family and also Catherine and her family that I can share with you.
I will also send you more information on William's parents, gparents etc.
I have attached William's death certificate and cemetery photo