Hi CaroleW
Thanks so much for your speedy reply. Yes indeed I found the marriage, which was a surprise.
William is my 2 x great grandfather and was a Master Mariner working on the river boats. Elizabeth, his second wife, aged 21 years at their marriage in 1868, was related through William's daughter Eliza, who married a George Quirk. Elizabeth Quirk was born and lived in Liverpool. William had children with his first wife Ann. They were living in Toxteth Park on the 1861 Census, and between then and 1868 at William's second marriage, Ann had died. I was surprised to see Dale Street as their residence on the 1868 marriage certificate as that area has always been a commercial area and one where, at that time, there were many coaching inns, people waiting to ship out of the port. Because I cannot trace any record of William and Elizabeth in the 1871 Census, or indeed a death certificate for William in UK, I wonder if they went abroad, perhaps in 1868 after their marriage. I cannot trace any births for them in Liverpool area in the yeas following their marriage.
On William's son, James marriage certificate to Hannah Sothern dated 3rd March 1878, St Matthew, Toxteth, William Evans is declared as "deceased". I think I have found his son George Evans born in Runcorn in 1851 working on board ss Russia from Liverpool 1873 to New York. They were a seafaring family and most of the men were mariners, so it may have not been such a big deal for William to contemplate sailing to another country for a new start.
I hope this further information may help. Thank you so much. I have been struggling with this problem for some time and I would be eternally grateful for any assistance.