Arnold Merrick (General)

by mgw21, Wednesday, August 26, 2020, 08:26 (1543 days ago) @ Chewton

Hi,

I've been researching Arnold Merrick b1803 and in particular his first son to his second wife (Anne Wilson), Arnold Merrick Wilson for several months now. Its fascinating how many people seem to be researching Arnold Merrick Snr and the extended family.

Together with other researchers (descendants Ion Lynar and Neil Wilson), we have concluded Arnold b1837 went to sea as per family folklore at age 13 - on the Tasman but not on the voyage you referred to. Neil discovered a second passage arriving Geelong on 4 Jan 1851. That's far more likely as subsequent newspaper notices placed by his mother from South Africa referred to him emigrating in 1850 and 'going to' (his uncle) John Foliot Merrick in Chilwell, Geelong. John FC arrived as you mentioned on the Travancore 12 months earlier (about the same time as the arrival of the first Tasman trip).

For the record, and this appears to be something of a family "tradition", Arnold b1837 changed his name several times during his life. He married as Arnold Arthur Merrick in 1861, had his first two children as Arthur Merrick, his last two as George Wilson, and died aged 65 as George Arthur Wilson.

Cheers

Mike Wilson