Travelling - North Devon to Camborne 1840s

[Philezra]

Hi.

Can anyone offer theories (I'm hoping those well read in this kind of thing can offer simply reasons that I'm niaively unaware of) as to why someone who was only 18, from the Barnstaple area, would end up in Camborne. His family (parents and sister) are still there in 1841. Pretty sure he isn't.

He marries a Camborne girl in 1848 and sets up his own building firm.

Interested in relation to the travelling part as it's quite a distance - were the railways up and running then?

[KGarrad]

Horse and cart?
Horse?
(Barnstaple Railway Station opened in 1854)
(Cambourne Railway Station opened in 1837)

Most likely travelled by boat, I would think.

[rosie99]

100 miles was not that far to travel in those days, maybe he found work in different places over the years and ended up in Camborne.

[AlanBoyd]

I don’t think that railway travel would have been an option in that area at that time. It’s quite possible that the easiest option would have been by sea, perhaps to St Ives?

[Jebber]

18 was not that young he would have already been working for at least four to six years. He may have gone in search of work depending on his job at that time. It was  quite common for people to travel long distances in search of work. He could have travelled by sea as has already been suggested, horse and cart was still an option with walking in between cart rides.

[KGarrad]

Camborne, Cornwall to Barnstaple, Devon is 104 miles by road.
1 day walking.

[Philezra]

Very interesting and absolutely fascinating....not sure about walking there in a day, but I get your point.

This is where I (and maybe many of us) lack the insight/knowledge of those "times".

Thank you all so much for your opinions - provokes much thought.

[KGarrad]

A brisk walking pace is about 4.5 to 5 miles per hour.
A day is 24 hours (but we all knew that!).

100 miles would take, therefore, 20 hours?

[Philezra]

So done over two days minimum, surely. Eating/resting.....or am I failing to realise the approach back then?