I've been reading "Long-lost relatives" in the 1886 Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper and if half or even a quarter of the ads are correct, then it must have been a sad time for families, especially those in England whose relatives set off to either America, New Zealand or Australia in search of better times.
In the first three and a half months, the paper had advertised for 372 missing relatives.
In the edition of 4 July 1886, it says:
"We can only find room each week for a limited number of the letters received, and all relating to inquiries for next-of-kin and runaway husbands must be cast aside. A few are unintelligible, among them being letters signed Roberts, Moseley, and E A W. Cases going as far back as 1833 appear to us hopeless. Correspondents who have not heard of relatives for many years almost invariably ask for their letters to be inserted in the next issue of Lloyd's; but this is impossible, and they must be patient for awhile."
Some of the ads in this edition are:
James Henry Chorley, left Glasgow in the ship County of Forfar, for Bombay, in 1877, and nothing has been heard of him since. His father and sister would like to know his whereabouts.
Did the ship ever arrive? Nowadays, we could probably look up the internet and find plenty of information.
Henry Friend sailed for New Zealand, in the ship Delaware, about 12 years ago, but doing no good there, went to New South Wales, where he worked as a boot finisher, under the name of Gerald Wilmot. His aged parents have heard nothing of him for 10 years.
I haven't even attempted to track this guy under either of his names ! !
Jean
