Dear Barbara,
Thanks for your message. Yes I have tried the emigration database - no
Hamiltons. I have therefore concluded, temporarily, that he was a
mariner (there is supporting evidence for this hypothesis). I had to
pay for the search too - didn't mind, even though the Oz$ is
pathetically low at the moment.
George married a Catholic here (Adelaide) in 1865, but as I said in
previous postings, I went to the Catholic archives in Osnabruck (no
help) and Hildesheim (very helpful) and have been assured that, given
the comprehensive coverage of the Hildesheim index, there were no
Catholic Hamilton births c 1840.
I know there are/were far fewer Catholics in the Niedersachsen area than
Lutherans. I did not know that Meppen was/is a mostly Catholic county -
thanks for the info.
Good luck with your search,
Jan