By 1837, the woollen industry around Stroud was in steep decline, and so it was that, in August of that year, 68 people from Bisley were sent, via Bristol, to start a new life in Australia. All the children with a ‘D’ after their names died en-route because of a measles epidemic.

We are very grateful to Peter Smith from Victoria, Australia, a descendent of one of those families, for this list of those who travelled out, arriving in Sydney on 22nd January, 1838.

Butt, Jacob
Ann (his wife)
Anna 9 years
Eliza 8 years (D)
Selina 6 years
Emma 3 years (D)
Fancy (or Fanny??) 1 year
Moses Smart 16 years

Drake, George
Martha (his wife)
Daniel 14 years
Henry 12 years
Mary Ann 10 years
Alfred 8 years
Martha 5 years
Sarah 3 years

Millard, Richard *
Ann (his wife)
Henry 4 years
Samuel 2 years (D)
Robert 4 months (D)

Mills, Samuel
Sarah (his wife)
Rhoda 9 years (D)
Emma 7 years (D)
Samuel 3 years (D)
Ephraim 2 years (D)

Pacey, William *
Ester (his wife)
Charles 4 years old
Henry 2 years

Parsons, Matthew
Puah (his wife)
George 3 years (D)

Parsons, Reuben
Hannah (his wife)
Abel 1 year (D)
Pettett, Henry
Eliza (his wife)
William 3 Years (D)

Phelps, Henry
Ann (his wife)
Ester Ann 6 years (D)
Henry Arthur 1 year old (D)

Tyler, Matthew
Mary Ann (his wife)
Eliza 13 years
Charles 11 years
Jonathon 9 years
Maria 6 years (D)
Martha 4 years (D)
Mary Ann 1 year

Wheeler, James
Caroline (his wife)

Wheeler, Jonathon
Jane (his wife)
Harriet 18 years
Samuel 16 years
Anne 12 years
John 10 years
Jonathon 8 years
Philip 6 years
Rosanna 3 years (D)
Daniel 1 year (D)

Witts, George
Sarah (his wife)
Caroline 4 years (D)
Anne 2 years

* More in-depth details on some of the above:

Richard MILLARD. Chr. 6/11/1814 Bisley married Ann c1832
Henry b. 1833 Bisley d. 1905 Milton NSW
Samuel b. 1835 Bisley
Robert b. 1837 Bisley

William PACEY b.1803 Bisley d. 1883 Liverpool NSW Married Feb 1831 to
Ester nee Beard b. 1810 Rodborough
Charles b. 1833 Bisley d. 1884 Wagga Wagga, NSW
Henry b. 1835 Bisley