A MAN from Australia is searching for information about a relative transported from Evesham nearly 200 years ago.

John Mitchell, of James Street, Lidcombe, New South Wales 2141, Australia, contacted the Journal to ask if any member of the Hemming family could help in his quest for information on Francis Hemming.

Born about 1810, Francis Hemming was first recorded as being tried at Evesham Crown Court on October 17, 1823, and sent for seven years to Van Dieman's Land.

He later moved to Sydney where he raised his family in a beautiful house he had built and which still stands in the Sydney suburb of Annandale. Although shown in the convict record as a shoemaker's apprentice, said Mr Mitchell, he later became a bone boiler and made soap and candles and was quite well off when he died in 1884.

Mr Mitchell said: "He was my grandmother's grandfather and I am writing an article on him for an historical journal. The personal details appearing on his death certificate and, given to the registrar in Sydney by a distant relative, are not reliable in that the names of his parents, age and place of birth are not accurate. All we know about him is that he came from the Evesham area and was tried there."

Mr Mitchell and his wife Judy visited Evesham during September and were both quite taken by the town. "We had a most pleasant day in the park listening to the band playing near the river, admiring the Abbey ruins in its wonderful open space," he said.

He added: "We both thought what an attractive place Evesham is and how Francis must have missed it when he was sent to Australia."