Hi everyone.
My great-grandfather, Septimus Thompson, was a butcher in South Shields. He was born on 25 September 1859 in Westoe, South Shields, and he opened his own butcher's shop at 40 Dale Street, South Shields in 1883. In January, 1886, he stowed away on the Lavinia from Mauritius to Albany, Western Australia, where he was arrested but subsequently released as he'd been allowed by the captain of the ship to work his passage. He next turned up in Melbourne, marrying Rosa Grimsley in 1889. Evidence suggests that he abandoned Rosa and their daughter by 1890. He died in Melbourne on 21 June 1897.
It seems probable that Septimus might have had to leave England in a hurry, and possibly without sufficient money to buy a passage all the way to Australia. I'm interested in trying to find out why.
Had he been declared insolvent?
Had he married and abandoned a wife in South Shields?
Had he been running away from court charges?
His father (William) had died in 1871 and his mother (Margaret) had died in 1884. Was there an issue with his mother's will or her estate?
Are there any passenger lists that record his presence on a ship that left England at that time?
Where did he go after he landed in Western Australia and what did he do until 1889?
If anyone can direct me to sites that might help to answer these questions I would be very grateful.
Thanks,
Peter
