Hi Velcro,
I have found Mark in 1871 (when he was listed onboard ship, but on leave). He is with Charlotte and her husband William Edward EDWARDS who married in 1862. They are at Carisbrook on the Isle of Wight. William was a prison convict guard in 1871 and also in 1881 at but now living at Portsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire. By 1891 they were still at Portsea, but William was a tobacconist. He was about 20 years older than Charlotte. In 1871, Mark is listed as a visitor, 19, seaman.
I assume that you got your information from the service record that I mentioned. Does it give a list of his service, and if so, what is the last entry and the date? Does it say anything about a discharge? He could have served on many different ships during his service.
Deserters were listed in Police Gazettes - WA's are online, but only start in 1876. I found one mention of a William EBBS on page 193 in 1881 being apprehended at Fremantle for being drunk and disorderly. Nothing for PREWETT (or as many variations that I can think of). You can search for yourself here
http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/resources/police_gazettes Of course you don't know that he deserted in WA, and Gerry's find could mean he was in SA.
We have a few resources for deserters at my family history society, and I will get there in the next few days (hopefully today) and have a look for you.
Just as an aside, I find it quite interesting that Mark/William knew his mother's name - it is an unusual name but he was aware of it. He was only six years old when she died and his father re-married almost straight away - it would have been easy for him to have been led to believe that the second wife was his mother. His relationship with his sister Charlotte (who was eight years older than him) makes me wonder if all was not rosy in the family when the father re-married. The note "parents probably deceased" perhaps means that they had no contact with their father.
Debra
