William and Elizabeth were both born at St. Martins in Meneage, Cornwall, where they married in 1855. Prior to coming to Australia they both worked for Sir Richard Vyvyan at Trelowarran farm to the west of St. Martins. In July 1856 they sailed from Plymouth to Portland aboard the 'General Hewitt'. They began working for Alfred Hobbs at Mount Gambier, then the family spent some years at Naracoorte. William applied for a selection at Kaniva in 1879 and took up farming there in 1880. He was one of the first to gain a block of land (15+ acres) when the South Australian Village Settlements began in 1894. Around 1896 he went to Coolgardie W.A. and some time later came back to the Adelaide Hills where he lived till his death. Elizabeth died at Diapur, near Kaniva. It would seem they were then living apart - some have suggested that William commtted bigamy while at the goldfields - could this be his skeleton in the closet ?