Our research into Lewis family history began with Jill's great grandfather, Alfred LEWIS, who came to Australia in the early 1900s and settled in Cairns, Queensland. This was somewhat of a surprise, as we'd thought that Jill's immediate family were the first to arrive - in the 1950s.

Alfred LEWIS (whose father was Richard LEWIS) was born in 1829 and died in 1909. He married Emma GOULD in 1853 and they had six children.

Sarah Elizabeth (1855-1871); William Thomas (1857-?); George Alfred (1859-1949) Jill’s great grandfather; Mary Ann Sophia (1861-?); James Gould Lewis (1863-?); Alfred Lewis (1865-?):

Emma died in 1884 and at the age of 57 Alfred married 25 year old Mary Jane SANDFORD and had a further four children –

Maud Mabel (1887-1976); Alfred (1889-1944) (suggesting that the first Alfred had died); Sidney (1890-?); Mary (1891-?)

George Alfred, Jill's great grandfather, married Amy Ann DIVINE in around 1880 and had nine children. A family story says that Amy walked out of the house one day, with just her purse, and was never seen again. George ultimately followed his eldest daughter, Amy, out to Australia and settled in Cairns where he had a grocer’s shop. George and Amy senior’s children were-

Albert Edward (1880 -?) (married to Maud); Arthur George (1882-?); Amy Florence (1883-1945) (married to Alfred Edwin ENNIS); Percy Charles Thomas (1885-1931); Alfred James (1888-1965) (married to Catherine Emma Louise ISSITT – Jill’s grandparents); Annie Elizabeth (1889-?) (married to Len); Frank (1892-1931); Ellen (1897-?) (married to Arthur NORMAN); Sidney (1900-?)