Cando, many of the assumptions in my earlier reply were actually conclusions. The evidence was not provided. I will accept the assumption that Nathaniel Alward being on the Balnaguith was an assumption. How could an American get to Melbourne in 1855? Via NSW, perhaps. He could also be one of the possibly thousands of migrants, who arrived having paid their own fares prior to 1852. Victoria has Assisted Migration lists for 1839 to 1871, (Index to Assisted British Immigration 1839-1871 ) and Unassisted migrants from 1852. Victoria was established as a self-governing colony in 1850. NSW has Assisted migration lists to Port Phillip (Port Phillip, 1839-51 ). However, free settlers were not recorded, or records are not available, without intensive searching of ships’ lists. Many American “49ers” arrived in NSW after Hargreaves’ supposed finds, and many people were attracted south by Victoria’s finds, after October, 1851.
I made the assumption, from the second response, that the lister knew the marriage involved a Nathaniel. ( I note he was in trouble for a shooting incident in 1854 )
Re The Balnaguith and not arriving in Melbourne. Apparently it was a possibility, according to the following research, but it specifies 1856 and 1857 only.
http://members.optusnet.com.au/shanleyhistory/migration.htmbasically advises that four ships, including Balnaguith, brought immigrants from Plymouth to Portland Vic. It also goes on to suggest that on-travelling migrants may have been transported ( 15 Kms ) to Port Fairy, where they were put aboard a coastal trader. There were 231 migrants on the Balnaguith. I know of three. The Keatings, Samuel Haslett, who left the ship to work on a property 40 or so kilometres north, near Hamilton, AND the following ......
http://eucalypt.com/Field/persons/person1262.html About Whelan, Michael Luke
Emigration: 1855-07-14 on board Balnaguith, from Plymouth to Portland 29/10/1855. Book 12 Pg 156
Emigrated to Melbourne (Australia) from Ireland in October 1855 on a ship called Balnaguith (sponsored to work for Mr Winter of Murrindal and married Elizabeth Cox. Elizabeth was the daughter of the Cox family of Mooney Ponds who did not approve of Michael and disowned Elizabeth. Michael and Elizabeth went to live and raise their family (12-16 children) in Buchan, East Gippsland.
However, Murrundal is actually located north of Buchan, 300 kms east of Melbourne and 600 kms from Portland and these were sponsored migrants, with how much money in their pockets??
The Balnaguith was a specially built ship, launched in 1852, designed for passenger travel, However, when ships got to Australia, how many people were returning to England? They had to become merchant ships and seek trade goods. It could easily ( despite the prevailing winds, and the Balnaguith was a cutter ) have travelled to Melbourne and returned to Portland to collect trade goods at Portland ( Victoria’s earliest settlement = 1834 )
Is it logical to assume that Nathaniel Alward was a mariner? No! However, if it wasn’t for two wayward mariners, who entered Victoria, or Adelaide, in 1854 and 1855, this researcher would not be helping you. Neither of my great grandfathers exist in records. My Irish grandfather was found, because he was one of 12 mariners, who jumped ship in Adelaide, in September, 1855, and spent two months in gaol there, before marrying a 19 year old, who was on his ship. My English ggf’s entry was only found in a hospital record from 1877, although his marriage advised he was here in 1857.
Mary Keatings, the marriages:
"KEATING","Maria","M","TRAVERS","Michael","","F","","",1852,"1324","ROMAN CATHOLIC","ST FRANCIS, MELBOURNE","709"
"KEATING","Maria","M","ALWARD","Nathaniel","","F","","",1855,"2524","","",""
"KEATING","Maria","M","EVANS","John","","F","","",1862,"296","","","" 3 children born at Wood(end?)
"KEATING","Maria","M","BYRNE","Patrick Hugh","","F","","",1863,"3768","","","" ( 9 children born in Collingwood -- became a working class area, just 3 kms north east of Melbourne city.
In my first reply, I referred to the likelihood of John Evans being the marriage your lster wanted, and suggested that this was the most likely, if they had been sposored “ by an uncle”.
Your correspondent might be interested in the below request, unless it is her own listing.
http://boards.ancestry.com.au/surnames.alward/204/mb.ashx Looking for descendants of Nathaniel Alward (1830 - 1908) and Maria Keating (1836 - 1915).They lived in Garden City and Vernon Center Minnesota. They had 9 children:
Marie Louise (1857 Australia) Bellen (1959 Australia), Anne (Libby) (1861 MN);Nathaniel (1863 MN); Sophia (1866 MN); Bertha (1868 MN); Grace (1871, MN); Mabel Constance (1871 MN) and Jessie 1879 MN).
Maria Keating was my grandfather's aunt.
May I point out that this request suggests that this Maria Keating was not the one on the Balnaguith, which you have already suggested. 1836 was John Keating’s birth date - 19 in 1855. Maria was 3 years older.
