Hello all!
This is a brick wall I've been trying to smash down for a few years now and luckily I found an article the other day that has given me a fresh lead.
William Horn born in 1868, Glasgow, Scotland led an interesting life (from the bits and pieces I have found!). His father was George Horn and his mother Mary Nixon. I believe he was born as William Nixon Horn.
I've found him living at home in the 1871, 1881 and 1891 census. In the 1891 census he is listed as an Analytical Chemist. The next record I found of him was leaving the UK for Chile, to take up a job there. He then marries out there in Taltal in 1896 to a Violet Kemp Thomson. All records then disappear.
I found Violet Kemp Horn coming back in early 1902, on her own. This is where it got a bit strange!
George Lamont Horn (their son), was born in November 1903 and William is listed as his father.
I found a newspaper article that was granting Violet a divorce on the grounds of desertion. She has been quoted to say that he had left her in Chile, and his words to her were along the lines of "I hope to never see you again". Then in the article, it states that when Violet had returned to the UK a few months after William in early 1902 and found that he had already set sail for Australia and he was apparently in Fremantle, WA.
However, I can find no records of William at all. And, although he is listed as George's father, the dates just do not add up.
Frustratingly, I have not been able to find any of them in 1911. George is then living on his own in 1921. Violet then emigrates herself to Australia, and ends up in Geelong, where she lives for 25ish years and dies.
On her death certificate, it states she is widowed, to William. And strangely that she has no children. She did die in a home and of "senility", so the staff at the home may not have been aware that she even had children.
I was hoping to find any records of William in Australia and if anyone can help, that would be amazing