I feel saddest for my grgrangfathers daughters by his first marriage, Emily Jane and Maud Mary. Their mother Sarah Ann died of complications during childbirth in Jan 1876 in Sydney Australia, having lost one female child who died of convulsions at 10 months, 4 years earlier. In March 1876 the newborn George died and in Oct that same year another son William died of scarlet fever.
In November their father Robert took the two surviving girls Emily Jane and Maud Mary by ship back to England to be cared for and tutored by his sister Jane and her daughter Harriet in Devon. He then sailed back to his life in Australia.
In 1882 Maud Mary died of tuberculosis, Harriet also died in the same year. By 1880 aunt Jane died of tuberculosis when Emily Jane was 24 years.
From a newspaper advert in 1890 I know Emily Jane was trying to sell her aunts house in Devon. Then nothing, no marriage, not in the 1891 Census that I can find, and no death, I was hoping against all odds that she managed to survive and live a relatively happy life.
Then, what luck, 1901 Census, I found her aged 34, a certified hospital nurse in the employ of a clergyman and his family in Wiltshire. Oh frabjous day, Calloo Callay!
I have found so much fabulous background info in Newspaper archives, death notices, obituaries, bankruptcy notices, coronial inquiries, trade adverts, and town council reports and editorial - all giving me insight into the lives of my family members.
Happy searching
Sue