Alexander Thomson was born in Edinburgh. He married Elizabeth (ca.1812) in Market Drayton, Shropshire, where they brought up their family - he was a paper maker. His son James married Mary Ann Oakley in 1843 at Dudley, Staffs. Mary Ann had previously been married (1836) to a William Powell .. census records indicate she was born in Wolverhampton - her father was a stirrup maker and the family lived in Walsall. James was a cabinet maker, and Mary Ann an upholsterer. Following their marriage they lived in Wolverhampton and had three sons, Charles Oakley (b.1846) and William (1848) and Alfred Alexander (1852). The 1861 census entry for Mary Ann and the three boys includes a note "husband in Australia".

Samuel Jones was born in Shifnal and his occupation ranged from a groom in the 1840s, to a labourer/porter/carter in later years. At the time of his marriage in 1840 (at Wolverhampton) his father George was a farmer.
Ann Withers was born in Weston-under-Lizard and had a child (Francis) prior to marrying Samuel. Mary Jones had a twin sister Elizabeth who was a witness at Mary's wedding to William (a tin plate worker).