The first of our SOMERVILLE family to arrive in Australia was Christopher SOMERVILLE however to date we have been unsuccessful in establishing exactly how, although we are fairly certain that he did not fly here! Ongoing research is being conducted to establish on which ship he arrived, any assistance would be welcomed. We feel that it was prior to 1841.

Next to arrive were John SOMERVILLE with his sister Ann SOMERVILLE departed Liverpool, England on 4 April 1841 and arrived in Sydney on 21st July, 1841 on board the ship "Helen". John was aged 20 and he could both read and write. Ann was aged 18 and she could both read and write. Both were assisted passengers.

Rebecca SOMERVILLE's arrival is to date another mystery to us at this stage and once again any help would be warmly welcomed.

Sarah SOMERVILLE departed Plymouth, England on 4th April, 1848 and arrived in Sydney on 19 July 1848 on board "Royal Saxon". She was 20 years old. She could read and write and was listed as a houseservant. On the 3rd April, 1849 Sarah married William Warren WAKELY at the Princes Street Wesleyan Chapel at The Rocks in Sydney. After William Warren WAKELY passed away in 26 Febuary, 1854, Sarah married John Henry HAWLEY in 1855. Sarah travelled with a Jane SOMERVILLE aged 23 who we have so far been unable to place in our family. This Jane could not read or write.

Mary Jane Somerville departed Liverpool, England on 3 Nov., 1854 and arrived in Sydney on 12 Feb., 1855 on board "Nabob". Mary Jane SOMERVILLE married James PUXTY (also spelt PUXSTED in some documents).

Andrew SOMERVILLE departed Plymouth, England on 16 Oct, 1849 and arrived in Sydney on board the ship "Cornwall" on 9th Feb., 1850. He was aged 20 and he could both read and write.

James ELKIN and Sidney ELKIN (nee SOMERVILLE) departed Liverpool, England on 12 Sept, 1855 on board "Bee" and arrived in Sydney on 6 Jan, 1856. Also on board with them were the parents of the SOMERVILLE children George and Rebecca SOMERVILLE and their youngest children twins, brother and sister, James SOMERVILLE and Elizabeth SOMERVILLE.

George and Rebecca lived in Drumharvey or Lowtherstown (sometimes known as Irvinestown) in Co. Tyrone or Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. George was a son of Christopher SOMERVILLE and Ann SOMERVILLE (nee HUMES). Rebecca was a daughter of William CLARKE and Sarah CLARKE (nee EVANS). Ongoing research is currently being conducted in Ireland to attempt to establish further links however it is a difficult task due to the fact that fire destroyed the Public Record office during "the troubles". This was not the first time that the SOMERVILLE family had changed countries as the name SOMERVILLE has Scottish roots.

A decision must have been made by George and Rebecca to extract the family from their troubled homeland sometime during the Potato Famine and to seek a better life. This decision involved them travelling to Australia (via England) one by one and two by two over a period of some ten years.

By the time George and Rebecca arrived in Sydney some of their children had married and settled in Sydney and the Hunter River area around Raymond Terrace.