Alex BETHUNE

The Bethune family was HIES family 353. They left Plymouth for Australia on board 'Hercules' on 26th December 1952. The ship was forced to dock in Queenstown Ireland due to a typhoid outbreak. passengers were eventually landed and Alexander Bethune was separated from his family. The rest of his family, Norman and Catherine Bethune and his siblings Lachlan, Christian, Malcolm, Anne and Isabella were eventually assigned to the ship 'Neptune' which set sail from Liverpool on 7th June 1853. Was Alex still too unwell to join the rest of the family when they boarded 'Neptune'? He was assigned the next ship out of Liverpool, 'Olivia' which set sail on 30th July 1853. Records show that the conditions on board 'Olivia' were much better that those recorded on 'Neptune'. The family reunited once Alexander arrived in Port Adelaide on 14th November 1853. Alex was 14 years old at the time of this solo voyage.