The Voyage to Australia, 1852

William Jones sailed from Liverpool to Melbourne on 4 August 1852 on the ship Earl of Derby, at the age of about 38. Like many Welsh people who made the journey, he was looking for gold; others were seeking jobs, which were much better paid in Australia than in their home country. William Jones clearly knew two of the 320-plus passengers, Seth Evans and Morton, and it is likely that the three of them travelled together planning to work as partners. The ship arrived on 17 November 1852. He intended to stay a short time in Australia, but finally left on 4 June 1855, on the ship Essex, sailing to London, where he converted his gold into cash (value £1,413 in 1855, £155,618 in 2020) . He used the money to build a new farm, Treifan, near Brynsiencyn, Anglesey, and this became the family home for more than 100 years.