John Harker was the second child of Leonard and Mary Harker and was 8 years old when he accompanied his family to Australia in 1852.

In the June of 1852, his dad Leonard (44) his mum Mary (35) his four siblings Margaret 10,Elizabeth 6,Mary 4 and 11 month old Thomas sailed to Australia on the ship Merlin. They departed from Liverpool and arrived 3 months later in September 1852 at Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia. Leonard was the 4th child of Simon and Margaret Harker (nee Mudd)

I have obtained details of a Thomas Harker son of Leonard and Mary Harker being born in 1854 and dying in 1862. This means that this is a second Thomas. The first Thomas was 11 months old on the voyage to Australia in 1852. See above paragraph.

John Harker married Margaret Shade in 1871. MRN 259. They had twelve children.

Mary Jane Harker born 1875 in Gaffney's Creek, in Victoria. BRN 22997.

William Harker born 1873 in Gaffney's Creek, Victoria. BRN 2545.

Margaret Harker who married Albert Feldtmann they had a son Leonard who married Thelma Burrows.

Mary Jane Harker

Thomas Leonard Harker who married Eleanor Charlotte Ludeman and they had five children.

John Henry Harker

Alfred Harker born 1882 at Dookie, Victoria. BRN 2017. He married Florence Hall and they had four children.

George Harker

Emily Harker who married James Ratcliffe and had four children.

Louisa Harker who married William Hall and had three children.

Charles Harker born 1888 in St James, Victoria. BRN 15879

Arthur

As was a usual practice in the old days, if a child died at a young age, sometimes when the next child of the same gender was born the parents would call it the same name as the one they lost.

In this family there are two girls who have been called Mary Jane, I have just found details of one of the girls.

I have a large family tree chart showing the descendants of Leonard and Mary Harker nee Sharp. If anyone wants any information from me then just drop me a line. Unfortunately the big chart has no dates on it apart from the first generation. I have a smaller chart of the Harker/Corboy clan which is our side of the family (Simon and Margaret nee Beattie). This shows dates and locations.

Contact me if I can be of any assistance with your research on any of these families.

Cheers

Meredith