Australia

It is known that at least two families with their roots in Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, eventually migrated to Australia.

Samuel Croton (b. Cuddington, 1833) perhaps, found it difficult to settle or conform (He had been in trouble with the law on a number of occasions) or simple wanted to escape. He was a poorly paid agricultural labourer, had periods of unemployment and in the Union House, Aylesbury. In 1857 he had married Matilda Lee of Haddenham and at the time of the 1871 Census was living in Tebbys Lane, Cuddington.

Samuel would have been aware of, and perhaps had positive news of other members of the family having moved considerable distances to London, Birmingham, Manchester and New Zealand in an attempt to improve their quality of life. Having had little success in the past and with an uncertain future Samuel and his family decided to follow the example set by others.

The family sailed from London on board the ‘Storm King’ on the 1^st February 1873 and arrived in Moreton Bay (Brisbane) on the 3^rd May of the same year. They were indented to James Tyson, who would probably have been responsible for paying at least part of the passage. It is likely that the family would have been contracted to work for James Tyson for a specific period of time. A Schedule of transferable Land Order refers to the arrangement between the two of them.    

A land order was legal tender for the selection and purchase of land at auction, made available under the various Queensland land Acts in the nineteenth century. The scheme was designed as a means of inducing immigrants to settle in Queensland. In general, they were available to persons paying their own passage in full or to persons (such as shipping agents) paying the passage in full for someone else.

Upon landing in Queensland it appears that Samuel did not stray very far from his original port of arrival. He died in hospital at Toowoomba, less than 100 miles from Moreton Bay, in 1908 aged 75 years. He must have had a life of considerable adventure. Away from the larger towns, life in 19^th century Australia was harsh and facilities simple. Home would be a log cabin made from locally cut timber, no stove or running water etc. You had to be largely self sufficient.

In addition to the descendants of Samuel and Matilda, there are also those of Robert and Ellen, who originally migrated to New Zealand and then moved on to Australia.

In 1913 Ernest Croton (b.Wellington,1891), an engine driver and eldest son of Walter (b.Lyttleton 1866) and Norah (nee Darragh, b.Dublin, 1869), grandson of Robert and Ellen, left New Zealand for Australia. 

Ernest married Gertrude May Barnes on 2^nd June 1914 at Seymour, Victoria. They had seven children born between 1915 and 1928. Ernest died in Alfred Hospital, Melbourne in 1959 and is buried at Seymour. May born in 1924 is the mother of Trina Jones ( of Wendouree, Victoria). Trina continues to actively research our family history in Australia.