Lost ancestor William Walker Lyon.....

[Starshine.no1]

I am very happy on one hand to have found my rellies, but a bit sad on the other.
I live in Nth Qld Australia, and have only been back 2 weeks from a trip to
the U.K. looking for lost ancestors. I was staying in Gloucester and drove
to Bamff but could find no trace of WWL, or on my side, the Redford clan,
also from Bamffshire. Mary Ann Ross Lyon married John Redford in cairn Bank,
near Lucindale, South Australia on Dec 29th 1883. My father Colin Halley, was
born July 13th 1910. WWL died nov 26th 1907 and Elizabeth Pratt Lyon on sept 29th 1904.
I have a photo of WWL on his own takenfeb24th 1871 and one of WWL, Elizabeth Pratt Ross,
and Mary ann Ross Lyon,( my grandmother) I will endeaver to send these and a copy of the relevant pages from
'The Bible,' via your email.

Starshine

[puffin]

Dear Starshine,

Thanks for your reply and for your pm with photo.

I will contact further via pm with much more information.

Another great success for Talkingscot.

See Success Stories folder under Ernest Russell Lyon where you will see an excellent story of how french researchers found me via this site and that was just the beginning of finding more news on my uncle !

Looking forward to sharing more information with you, if only for the time being across the internet and not face to face.

With best wishes

Puffin

[puffin]

Following exchange of information with Starshine, to whom I am most grateful for share of information with photos of William Walker Lyon, Elizabeth Ross, and Mary Ann I have now also found each of their death/ burial locations via searching the online sites:

William Walker Lyon 1844-1907

via
http://www.kewcemetery.com.au/FindGrave.aspx

Burial - Kew Cemetery Melbourne, Australia.

Name LYON, WILLIAM WALKER
Date 29-Nov-1907
Grave Location C/E F 0207
Section Name Church of England
Grave Type PUBLIC
Service Burial

Elizabeth Lyon nee Ross (1840-1904)

via

http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home

Death Notice:

Adelaide Advertiser 5 October 1904

Lyon- On 29th September, at Millicent, Elizabeth, the beloved wife of WW Lyon, born at Aberdour, Aberdeenshire, Scotland July 31 1840. A sufferer for over 20 years, A good woman loved and respected by all. Now at rest.

Mary Ann Ross Lyon (1864-1938)

Married John Redford 29th December 1883 Cairn Bank Lucindale South Australia

REDFORD, MARY ANN ROSS
Surname REDFORD
Given Names MARY ANN ROSS
Cemetery MILLICENT
Denomination UNKNOWN
Section C SECTION MILLICENT CEMETERY
Plot/Grave/Niche 67
Last Residence MOUNT MCINTYRE
Date of Death 04.03.0938
Age at Death 73
Date of Burial 04.03.1938

Mary Ann and John had six sons, and are grandparents to Starshine.

John Redford is another Scot, being born in Portsoy, Banffshire in 1851.

On the http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home website I searched for " British Lion" in dates limited to 1866 and found many articles in the local newspaper describing the imminent arrival of the ship, full passenger lists, descriptions of how the ship was considered unfit for use for emigrants, conditions on board, arrival date, unloading date, misbehaviour of some of the crew when ashore and similar day to day reporting for the weeks that the ship was in Adelaide. The crossing from the UK took 96 days, and on arrival there was a long delay before the ship was allowed into the port for the 429 emigrants to disembark. One report reads:

"The British Lion was an old leaky vessel, and the passengers were constantly wet from the water which leaked in through her upper aides and decks. Surely there must be some serious neglect of duty on the part of the authorities at home when such crazy old tubs are selected to bring out four hundred and thirty souls"

The passenger list gives all names including William, Elizabeth,
and Mary Lyon,

and this summary:

Summary.—Adults.—English, 151; Scotch, 60;
Irish, 121—total, 352. Children between 1 and 12—
English, 33; Scotch, 14; Irish, 17—total, 64. Infants
—English, 5; Scotch, 3; Irish, 4—total, 12. Totals-
English, 189; Scotch, 97; Irish, 142. Grand totaL
428, equal to 384 statute adults.

So it has been worth the wait since my first posting on this heading, and I could not really have hoped for a better result.

So many thanks to TalkingScot again, and to Starshine.

Puffin

[puffin]

......and I should have included this detail found for Mary Ann

REDFORD, MARY ANN ROSS
Surname REDFORD
Given Names MARY ANN ROSS
Cemetery MILLICENT
Denomination UNKNOWN
Section C SECTION MILLICENT CEMETERY
Plot/Grave/Niche 67
Last Residence MOUNT MCINTYRE
Date of Death 04.03.0938
Age at Death 73
Date of Burial 04.03.1938

Puffin

[puffin]

For interest I thought I would transcribe the report of the 16th July 1866 from The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide SA 1858-1889) found on the website at

http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/28789155

ARRIVAL OF THE BRITISH LION WITH 428 GOVERNMENT IMMIGRANTS.

The British Lion -was seen on Saturday morning, and from her size and spread of canvas was easily recognised, though many miles distant down the Gulf. Having received a pilot on board, she at once squared away for the anchorage, where she brought up and furled sails, on the 94th day from Plymouth. She is in command of Lieutenant F. P. Reed, of the Royal Naval Reserve, who had the honor of being first of his grade to hoist the blue ensign in Sunth Australia. The Surgeon Superintendent is Dr. Mayne, J.P., of the Burra Burra, who, it will be remembered, proceeded to Europe some time back on sick leave, and has now returned with pleasure to resume the duties at the mine. The ship is an American built craft, of large tonnage and ample accommodation, having 5,865 superficial feet set apart for the immigrants, a fine roomy full poop, and capital height between decks. In fittings there are no especial peculiarities to describe. The distiller, bakery, galley, and Edmund's ventilator have done duty as well as could be wished, though at the offset a gale of wind occurred, and a sea knocked away the central cowl of the latter, so that its utility has not been fairly tested. Dr. Mayne's opinion of it is not very favourable. He considers the disadvantages arising from reduced space and other inconveniences attending are against its general introduction, and in this opinion several Superintendents have coincided. There can be no doubt that some trouble has been taken in selecting this batch of people, if the descriptive column of the passenger list is correct, for there appears quite a miniature colony in itself, as far as useful labour is concerned. There are 81 labourers, 52 farm labourers, and 68 domestic servants —the latter being the greater proportion of the single females of whose conduct a tolerably favourable report is made. Then follow several who are the only representatives of the following occupations:— Copper miner, grocer, schoolmaster and mistress, female farm servant, engineer, milliner, bootmaker, tindresser, painter, tailor, cabinetmaker, confectioner, dressmaker, matron, quarryman, housemaid, nurse-maid, gunmaker, ironfounder, and, as if to carry out the modern English rule, a policeman also on the roll-call. In addition, there are 2 grooms, 2 dairymaids, 3 drapers, 3 bakers, 3 housekeepers, 4 sawyers, 4 masons, 4 shepherds, 4 cooks, 6 shoemakers, 6 gardeners, 8 carpenters, and 10 ploughmen. The sanitary state of the ship was highly satisfactory throughout the passage; indeed, no serious case of sickness occurred. The deaths of three juveniles from being indelicate health on embarkation reduced the population, but two births increased it to within one of the original total. It is not possible for the vessel to proceed into harbour till next springtides.

Subjoined are the names of the immigrants:—

(I have not transcribed the English and Irish names)

Scotch

lsabella Anderson
Donald and George Anderson
Agnes Binnie
George Courts
Henry Denoon,
Janet Duff
William, Ann, Johann, Christina, and James Faulds
George and William Ferguson
Isabella Ferrier
Donald and Finlay Fraser
Henry Garden
James Gibson
Jessie Graham
Charles and Alexander Grant,
Anne Gray
Marian Gunn
Margaret Henderson
Thomas, Mary, and Peter Hill
Alexander Bell
Christina and William Kennedy
James Knox
Alexander Leslie,
Alexander Lobban
William, Elizabeth, and Mary Lyon,
Alexandrina Malcolm
William Mahon
William Melville
Mary McArthur
Mary McCulloch
George McCllock
Helen Donald and Ann McDonald
James, Margaret, and Mary McGavish
Alexander McGregor
John Mclntyre
John Mrfntyre
Margaret McLennan
James McLeod
Christina McLeod
Neil McNaughton
Helen McQuade
Neil McQuarry
James, Sarah, John, and James McTavish
Donald McVarith
William Milne
John Mitchell
James Ready
Alexander Riddoch
Angus Ross
David, Elizabeth, John, and William Russell
Peter Sinclair
Matthew and Thomas Smith
Michael, Ellen, Isaac, Michael and Elizabeth Smith
Christina Stephens
Mary Stephens
Duncan and Ellen Stewart
James Sutherland
Thomas Taylor
Thomas Turnem
James, Mary, Robert, and Alexander Wallace
James, Margaret, Helen, and Sarah Watson
Rosina Wilson

Perhaps others are hunting for names on this list?

Puffin

[AlanRedfordHood]

Hi Starshine,
I'm the grandson of your uncle George Rees Redford, and have been in the Millicent area checking out details of the family, and found this site.
William was the licensee of the Bayview Hotel, Beachport, South Australia in 1905. Took a photo of the Licensee Board and the old hotel,
I live in Melbourne so will look up his grave in the Kew Cemetery
I was named afterYour uncle, John Alan Redford who died at Gallipoli in 1915
Your grandmother Mary Ann Ross Redford (Lyon) was a magnificent woman who fought for years to establish exactly when and where Alan died (his body was never found), and I visited the Australian War Memorial a few weeks ago. There are no 50 pages of information on him including his mother's letters, which led to a Court of Enquiry.

[paddyscar]

Hello Alan, and

It appears that Starshine has not been active on the forum since not long after her post. If you read through the thread, you will see she exchanged information with Puffin, who has been very active on the Board.

You may wish to send a personal message to both of them by clicking on the pm button immediately below the text of their individual messages.

All the best,
Frances

[AlanRedfordHood]

Thanks Frances,
I sent a PM, to Starshine, but if not successful, will try to track her down through the family.
I'll PM Puffin also.