Missing family on ionic ship 1897

[Arnside98]

Hi.
My great Aunt’s husband and 2 sons emigrated to Australia in 1897. She was told they sailed on the Ionic under assumed names. See the below newspaper article she put in the gazette. I believe I have found them on the onion manifest under the names of John, George and Lewis Johnston - sailing to Hobart. I have hit a dead end though. Any advice? Could they have sailed on to later ports or even hopped off in South Africa (the port before)? How easy was it to change names once you landed? Thanks for any suggestions.

[wivenhoe]

Need some background and context here

Is the notice from a newspaper...police gazette....what?.

Can you give a title and date for the article please.

John Edmund SMITH 39y, Owen Edmund Gordon SMITH 11y and Richard Lionel Gordon SMITH 8y are missing from their family after their names on the passenger list, 1897?

John Edmund SMITH  .....what date and place of birth do you have for him?. What occupation do you have for him?   Who/when/where did he marry?  What children did he have, additional to Owen and Richard?

Was he estranged from Edith...divorced...what?

[majm]

Welcome to RootsChat

Wivenhoe is asking some important questions to help your quest.

I can see on the Hobart, Tasmania online 'Tasmanian Names Index' that in 1897 there  is a listing for  a George Johnston, a child.  Sadly it is for a burial. This lad was recorded as aged 7.  It is possible that the clergy may have misheard his age as the information would be given verbally and accents can  confuse 'seven' with 'eleven'. 

Cornelian Bay Cemetery,  C of E, Section N, Row O, 

https://stors.tas.gov.au/AF70-1-23$init=AF70-1-23p73jpg

JM  EDIT TO STRIKE THROUGH,  see reply #6 the death registration shows this young child was born Tasmania.

[Neale1961]

Passenger list segment here. Spelling is JOHNSON

[majm]

Great Find Neale.

The Tasmanian Names Index has both JOHNSON and JOHNSTON for the burial I offered.   
https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/?

It seems likely the voyage from London was westward across the Atlantic, around Cape Horn and across the Pacific to Wellington then on to Australian Ports.   I don't have the Victoria Police Gazettes in my collection of reliable resources    but the image our OP posted does have "O.2501 21st March, 1898"  which likely is the printers reference markings.

JM  ADD,  I may be misreading the route the Ionic took.  It may have come via Africa rather than South America.   

[Arnside98]

Thanks for the replies. My great Aunt Edith Kate Mahon was born in 1864 in Pimlico, London. She was a pianist that spent time in Philadelphia and Chicago. I think she was estranged from her husband (married 1885 London) John Edmund Smith born 1858 New Malden Surrey Uk. They had three children Owen Edmund born 1885, Bertram Gordon 1887-1888 and then Owen Lionel gordon 1889. The image I attached is from a Victoria Police Gazette. I’ll re attach it. Thanks for all your help so far !

[majm]

Following up on that burial I noted earlier.

Please see the image https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27M-B25Z  as it gives sufficient information about the child's death that I will go back and strike through my earlier post.

1468, 12 August 1897, Barrack St
George JOHNSTONE, (Born Tasmania) male, 4 years
Labourers child, Tumour of the Brain,  Dr Wolfhagen, A Clark undertaker, 16 August 1897.

JM  ADD ... I have edited.  11.04 a.m. NSW daylight savings time.

[wivenhoe]

From census 1891 John Edmund SMITH is a bankers clerk.

SMITH would seem to be a good anonymous name.

Why would you change family name.......... and given names?.

People do not casually assume a given name. Responding to hearing your name is a basic and spontaneous human behaviour. You can be caught out using a given name that is of recent invention.

Do you think that Edith was given the correct information?

What happened to Edith?. Did she stay in USA....return to England?

[majm]

Johnston/Johnson/Johnstone should also be considered an anonymous as SMITH  - I think it may be even more popular than BROWN or JONES back in the late 19th century.

Wivenhoe, do you have the census reference for that 1891 sighting please?

JM