And please do not forget the large migration to New Zealand and Australia from 1840s-1850s onwards as well. Again the gold rushes in Otago (NZ) and Victoria (Australia) were possibly the initial impetus. Later on Manx came down under for reasons of better opportunities for their families.

My ancestors, James & Catherine (nee Clague) Qualtrough of Malew and Arbory with 8 of their 9 children, arrived in Auckland, NZ on October 19th 1859 on board the "Mermaid" having sailed from Liverpool in July 1859. They initially took up undeveloped bushland in the Hunua ranges south of Auckland which was the incentive of the NZ Govt of the day encouraging settlers with the offer of land of 40 acres per adult and 20acres per child. So the Qualtroughs gained quite a bit of land through this. The quality was such that is was almost not farmable, so in the early 1860s James purchased on his own account a large property in East Tamaki/Pakuranga, east of Auckland. and there settled, raised their family to adulthood and became pillars of the local Methodist Church and the community.

Each settler family and individual has their own story to tell I am sure. It would be a nice thought if each of us could provide some information on their initial ancestor or ancestral family from the Isle of Man and deposit if at the Manx Museum Library and/or in the IOMFHS Library in Peel for posterity.

Elizabeth, Australia
www.qualtrough.org