Daniel Hill 1842 and Christiana Thomas 1846,

[biggles]

I have got no further than the 1871 census for the St just in Penwith family of Daniel Hill 1842 and Christiana Thomas 1846, they seem to have vanished off the records. I looked at deaths on the Ancestry site, on line Cornish Parish Records and St Just in Penwith Wesleyan Circuit disc to no avail. Richard 1870, who appears to be the only surviving child of Daniel and Christiana, is living in 1881 with his grandmother Mary Hill nee Williams 1816. It seems strange that his parent would have left him at the age of 11. Emigration is a possibility but I have yet to find them on any list, ether as a married couple or singly and once again why leave Richard behind?

[sue]

Well Biggles, as Richard is still with granny Mary in 1891, it seems to me likely his parents are dead.

There are many many millions (billions?) of records that haven't survived, never existed or are yet to be transcribed for "general" availability.

Pre-1890s, I reckon I've struck gold if I find someone's passage to another land, although Aus is far better than most places.

In principle, it is entirely possible young Richard could have been left with granny pro temp whilst the parents were exploring a new land & had not yet set up there, possibly when he was just a few years old; I have seen that several times where there is just one or two children to be cared for (& even one left in Cornwall out of a gaggle when the rest journeyed to USA, who knows why, perhaps too sick to travel.)

Have you tried old newspapers where particularly accidental deaths sometimes got reported? I assume you've scoured FBMD. Did any of Daniel's siblings emigrate? Or Christiana's? The death of several children young was an impetus to start a new life, and all that new construction, not just mines, would have meant sawyers were in great demand; and extended family expeditions were commonplace, as I expect you know.

Sue