Diana Kupke Writes
The Marks Family
To Australia from Ireland on the China
Sarah Jane Marks, my great great grandmother, was 23 years old when she married Michael Lyons in 1839 at Silver Hills, Tipperary, Ireland. All that is known about her background is that her father was called Michael Marks and that her mother was called Margaret. No details are known about any other siblings. I would love to hear from anyone who has any information on this branch of my family tree.
Sarah was born in 1816 at Kings County in Tipperary, Ireland. She was a housemaid when she married and soon after the ceremony Sarah and Michael boarded the China at Plymouth, on 27 November 1839 and arrived at Port Phillip on 1 May 1840. The five month voyage must have been exhausting for Sarah as she was seven months pregnant by the time they arrived in Australia.
The couple had eight children, my great grandmother, Ellen was third in line. The children were Margaret (1840-1909), Mary (1840), Ellen (1844-1933), Michael (1847), Sarah (1848), James (1851), Edmond (1853-1855), and Joseph (1855).
Sarah and Michael apparently lived at Colac for a time before moving to the Lexton area. Michael was very active in the field of education and was the prime mover in schools being built at both Colac and Lexton.
Sarah predeceased Michael and died, on 22 March 1864, at Sefton, when she was only 48.
- Links to surnames
- Ancestral Circle
- Basan
- Canet
- Dudley
- Val's Dudley Story
- Grist
- Hovey
- Lyons
- Mann
- Montgomery
- Nell's Story
- Sandilands
- George Canet's Story
- Streater/Streeter
- Wilkinson