Rosie,
I know how hard it is to find a missing death I am still looking for a JAMES EMMS death after 1832 (last date documented alive in NSW as we have a letter written by him). Five years on and even with professional assitance I am getting nowhere. Am just waiting for the first little crack in this wall, I had thought that finding the letter would help.
Beware of relying on occupations, my John Clarke has his occupation given as: labourer, shearer, chef, stud groom, miner, gentleman etc. on a variety of Australian documents, in the UK he was a solicitors clerk and came out as an assisted immigrant to work as a gardener!!! And yes they were all the same man. (over 800 unnamed male deaths in the Victorian Inquests, and over 80 unnamed males in the NSW indexes after1894 for a start)
The information on the documents was given either by himself or his children!!!!
A small thought as a convict he may have changed his name slightly, my Godwin changed his to GOODWIN when he settled in Victoria from Tasmania, another connected anestor changed his from Vickers to BICKERS and all descendents have maintained the amended name.
Of course there is also the dreadful possibility that he died somewhere where he was not known and registered simply as a dead male. SO many awful things could happen if he travelled the coutryside, snakebite, flood, fire, etc.
Good Luck
Robyn
