Just wondering why someone would emigrate in that period. My chap was a boilermaker when he left England in 1890.
Interestingly he was down as single but had actually married less than a week before. I wonder if the marriage was brought forward before he left.
Wife was left behind until after 1891 census (have never found her passage to S Africa or her death there but they had two sons so clearly she was present for that!)
Anyway what I was musing on was his occupation. Was this a valued trade at the time and what would he have boilered - ships? Would he have ensured he had work before emigrating, would he have seen an advert for able bodied boilers somewhere?
Looks like it was planned not just a whim.
Any thoughts much appreciated
