Jane Gilbert hooked up with a man calling himself William Richards in Melbourne (AU) in 1859, (but no marriage as far as can be found). They lived together there for about 4 years. He then enlisted in the First Regiment Waikato Militia in1863 and went to New Zealand on the 'Star of India' and served in No. 6 Company. Jane came to New Zealand with wives of the members of the regiment on the "Swiftsure" in 1864, with their two children Elizabeth and John. They were based at Gate Pa in Tauranga. He deserted her and went to Auckland reverting to his real name - William Henry Walker. Most of this information is in a Declaration with a Justice of the Peace made by Willaim Walker 1/12/1882. It was in Tauranga that Jane met Robert Holt. (No record of that marriage either). Their first son, Francis Robert Holt, was born in Tauranga, in 1868. They must have moved to Auckland by 1870 because their seond child Emma Lucy was born there. Their 3rd, 4th and 5th children were born in Tapu, near Thames in 1873, 1877, and 1880. (Mary, David and Rose) Jane Gilbert was my Great, great grandmother. Some other clever person has unearthed and verified a good deal of this information. I am not sure of Jane's birth details, It is possible that she was born at sea. There was a Jane Catherine Gilbert born on the barque 'Lloyds' off Cape Horn 24 August 1838. The birth was registered in Adelaide 27/1/1839. So far I haven't been able to connect this Jane Gilbert to Robert Holt's Jane Gilbert who also called herself Sophia Jane Gilbert and Emily Jane Gilbert (on birth certificates of her children). William Richards/Walker deserted a first wife in Adelaide and then went to Melbourne - its possible he and Jane travelled from Adelaide to Melbourne together?
