Researching my great grandfather Emerson Richardson, B. 1953 Alston and his ascending families by marriage, who passed away in the Gippsland region of Victoria Australia in 1924. They were mainly Lead miners of Cumberland and Northumberland, our relatives being Richardson, Vipond, Calvert, Coulson, Liddell, Allison, Robinson, Gill, Moffatt, Bell, Cutter ... and the list goes on to other parts of the U.K.
Emerson, his mother Hannah ( B. 1829 Teesdale - D. 1901 Lucknow Vic ), and his two sisters Sarah and Elizabeth, left Liverpool on board HMAS Great Britain, and arrived in Melbourne Australia in Aug 1862.
Emerson's grandparents, Joseph Richardson ( B. 1792 Garrigill - D. 1869 ) and Margaret Watson ( B. 1796 Garrigill - D. 1872 ) were amongst many early Lead Miner families of the district, and many of their relations and neighbours, ended up coming to Victoria for the Gold rush era from the 1850s -1880s.
Like Emerson, I am also related by marriage to the following family emigrants to Victoria Australia :-
Emerson Richardson married Ellenor "Ellen" Vipond ( B. 1860 Alston - D. 1944 Malvern Vic ) daughter of James Vipond ( B. 1830 Alston - D. 1892 Swan Reach Vic. ) and Mary Ann Bell ( B. 1835 Alston - D. 1904 Bairnsdale Vic. ). Ellen arrived in Australia with her mother and three siblings, John Vipond-school master ( B. 1855 Alston - D. 1884 Swan Reach Vic ), Margaret Ann Vipond ( B. 1856 Alston - D. 1887 Kyneton Vic ), and William Vipond ( B. 1859 Alston - D. 1953 Malvern Vic ). Two more siblings were born in Victoria, Maria Bell Vipond-Milliner ( B. 1865 Stratford Vic - D. 1920 Malvern Vic ) and James Albert Vipond ( B. 1870 Fryerstown Vic - D. 1898 Swan Reach Vic ).
If my research is accurate, our Richardson line goes back to Joseph Richardson ( B. 1721 Alston ) and his wife Ann Metcalf ( details unknown ). Ellen Vipond's family history goes back a tad further in Alston, long standing locals one may say, possibly even earlier than Nicholas Vipond ( 1655 - 1709 ), and his wife Johanna Abigail Radcliff from nearby Loaning Head, on the same side of the river as the Viponds home.
Emerson's eldest Sarah Richardson ( B. 1850 Alston - D. 1877 Bairnsdale Vic ) married William Bell ( details unknown ) in 1867, had two sons John Joseph Bell and William Emerson Bell, and remarried Joseph Race ( details unknown ) in the same year she passed away.
Emerson's youngest sister Elizabeth ( B. 1861 Alston - D. 1918 East Bairnsdale Vic ) married Robert Cochrane ( B. 1853 ? - 1933 Bairnsdale Vic ), and had 6 children. They were Robert Henry Cochrane, Ethel Hannah Cochrane, Annie Elizabeth Cochrane, John Emerson "Jack" Cochrane, Ellie Sarah Cochrane, and Cecelia Marion "Sis" Cochrane.
Emerson's 3 brothers Joseph Richardson ( B. 1853 Alston - D. 1910 Cumberland ) , Albany Richardson ( B. 1854 Alston - D. 1914 Cumberland ), and John Richardson ( B. 1859 Alston - D. 1868 Alston ) all remained in Alston, and brother Joseph Richardson married Mary Gill ( B.1855 Alston - D. 1894 Cumberland ) whom bore John James Richardson, Margaret Hannah Richardson, Isaac Newton Richardson, and Sydney Richardson.
How the Richardson, Vipond, Calvert, Coulson, Allison, and Liddell families, originally from the U.K. are related here in Australia, simply comes back to Emerson's eldest son, i.e. my mothers dad, John Victor "Jack" Richardson ( B. 1888 Bailieston Vic - D. 1966 Heidelberg Vic ), who married my grandmother Sarah Ann Liddell (B. 1896 Bairnsdale Vic - D. 1960 Caulfield Vic ).
Sarah was the daughter of William Coulson Calvert Liddell ( B. 1875 Scarsdale Vic - D. 1934 East Gippsland Vic ) fourth son of Joseph Liddell ( B. 1833 Allendale UK - D. 1910 East Gippsland Vic ) , and Mary Calvert ( B. 1841 Northumberland - D. 1918 Swan Reach Vic ) and Grandson of Joshua Liddell / Mary Coulson and also William Calvert and Eleanor Allison.
I have a substantial amount of information, statistics, and old photos from many of these families, I am more than happy to share scans with any family members or local historians form the UK. Am also keen to hear from any surviving descendants of any of the above families, whom may also be prepared to pass on info or photos, to go towards an article I am writing on Lead Miner families of Cumberland and Northumberland.
Regards from Down under,
K.J. Mixo Sydenham
Son of Annette Rae Richardson
Via Warragul, West Gippsland Victoria Australia
