From Donaghadee to AustraliaAuthor(s): Mavis TaylorSource: North Irish Roots, Vol. 19, No. 2 (2008), p. 23Published by: North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27697783 .

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From Donaghadee to Australia

Mavis Taylor, Springwood NSW Australia A2662

I began my family history campaign by deciding to look for my paternal grandfather He died many years before I was born, was seldom spoken of kindly, and seemed not to have left happy thoughts in the memories of his numerous children This made him all the more fascinating to me He might have been a strict parent and a demanding husband, or pernaps he was a real rogue That I didn't find out, but I

fancy he may have been a charming Irishman to those outside the family

My fruitless search for JOHN TAYLOR started 20 years ago In the meantime I sorted out many other braches of families on the way It was just a stroke of luck that led me to the North of Ireland Family History Society on the Rootsweb list in February 2008 A member, Doreen Walker, saw my request for information and has been a fantastic help since then

The family lived in Donaghadee, County Down G-g-grandfather DAVID NEVIN was born tnere in 1794 One of his daughters, Eliza, married a John Taylor and sadly, with such a common name I have not yet been able to tind out anything about him He may have even come across from Scotland It nas been said that Eliza married a

second time This change of name makes her difficult to trace in later life

My grandfather John didn't like his step father so he went down to the harbour and as a lad of 15 years, in about 1859, joined a merchant ship He worked on the

sailing ships for about 10 years then jumped ship in Australia He spent time in the

gold fields of New Zealand and Australia, without making his fortune He married

twice, had 19 children that I know of, (15 in one family) He did finish up with a small

holding of land, but had the wanderlust and at times felt the urge to look for work in distant places around Australia He visited Ireland once in his later years, going then to Belfast, where by that time, his sister MARY KELLY lived

I have pieced together quite a lot about John during his life in Australia, but it was the Northern Irish connection which had been so difficult I am very happy with what I have recently found, but I will never give up hope of finding more about Eliza Nevin

and John Taylor Snr They married in the 1st Presbyterian Church in Donaghadee in

January 1841 I think John Taylor Snr was a miner

I wonder if anyone has any ideas of how I could find out what became of them

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