First child of Wlliam and Jane, William Roope Valler was born 18 July 1819, Parish of St George, Bloomsbury and baptised 12 September 1819. The family address was King Street, St Georges, Bloomsbury.

From the page relating to his parents we know he travelled with his mother, sisters and half-siblings to Australia on “PRINCE GEORGE” (2) arriving at Port Adelaide on 1838. His movements from that time are not known until a search revealed his presence back in England a few years later.

The first mention of him was located on the 1841 Census as William Rolf Valler, aged 20, occupation Hairdresser, 2 Leg Alley Street, Martin in the Fields, Long Acre, Middlesex.

Also on the 1841 census residing at Union St (?) Rochester, St Margaret, Kent was Eliza Mole aged 19 (b. c1822). Others at the same address were JC Dyke 59, Sarah Dyke 45, Dyke - Eliza 20, Sarah 20, Amelia 12, Ellen 12 and Jane Sidden 8, Jane Hickmott 8, Gabriel Hards 7 (what does all this mean I wonder...?

In the December quarter of 1844 William married Eliza Catherine Mole (b. c1822 in Rochester, Kent) - the marriage was registered in Lambeth.

Their first known child was William Henry Roope born 26 December 1845, baptised 18 January 1846 in the Parish of Clapham, Surrey. Father's occupation shown as hairdresser - abode - Brixton.

Next birth to be registered on Free BMD is for James Walter, in the June quarter of 1847, at Lambeth.

Frederick George was the next child to come along, he was born 12 September 1850, baptised 3 November 1850, Parish of Streatham, Christchurch, District, Surrey - father's occupation-hairdresser, address was shown as Mill Lane.

By 1851 the family was still living at Mill Lane, Brixton Hill in Surrey. Present the night of the census were William R Valler aged 31, Hairdresser, Eliza 28, William aged 5 and James aged 4. There was also a Groom - Joseph Wilkins who was a lodger and Joseph Gent, Gardener also a lodger.

A son Charles Robert was born 28 October 1852, baptised 5 December 1852, Parish of Streatham, Christchurch, District, Surrey (father's occupation-hairdresser) the address was Mill Lane. Alfred Valentine was born 6 December 1854, baptised 16 December 1854, Parish of Streatham, Christchurch, District, Surrey (father's occupation-hairdresser), the address was Mill Lane.

Finally after a number of sons their first known daughter Annie Eliza Jane was born c1856. Her birth registration is shown on Free BMD as December quarter 1855 at Lambeth.

Still living at Mill Lane, Brixton Hill in 1861 the family consisted at that time of William R, aged 41, Hairdresser and his wife Eliza E. aged 30 - born Cuxton, Kent. The children still at home were William H K aged 15 occupation Gardener, James W 14 and Charles R aged 6.

Alice Naomi was born 4 February 1865 and baptised 16 February 1865 at All Saints, Clapham, Surrey (father's occupation-hairdresser) the address was Mill Lane, New Park Rd. (The Parish Entry for this birth/baptism shows correct parents, occupation and abode - but is quite some time after the birth of Annie Eliza Jane in 1856. There were possibly further children - names could be found on Free BMD but they would be guesses without census records for verification.)

* The 1867 Post Office Directory for Surrey has an entry for Valler, William, Hairdresser at Mill Lane, New Park Road.

By 1871 the census shows the address as 2 Mill Lane, Brixton Hill and those present were William R Widr. 51 Hairdresser, Eliza 30 Wid. (b. c1823) also a Hairdresser - born Cuxton, Kent.

(The above entry is a little confusing as William is shown as widr. and Eliza as wid. - neither of the partners appear to have died - is it a clerical (or human) error...?)

Also at No. 2 Mill Lane were James aged 23, Hairdresser, Chas. aged 18 Occupation Bookbinder and Annie 15, Scholar.

* In 1878 the Post Office Directory for Surrey entry shows Valler, William & Son, 18 Priory Grove, South Lambeth.

There is an entry on FREE BMD 1878 Mar qtr. for a possible Death for William Valler age 59 Registered in Lambeth.

The above entry is possibly correct as by the 1881 census Eliza Valler is shown to be a widow, a lodger at New Park Rd., Lambeth (houses not numbered).

The 1881 UK census for Guithavon Street School House shows Annie Eliza Jane Valler, Unmarried, aged 25, Teacher - National School Infants and her niece Emily aged 6. Emily was born in Birkenhead, Lancashire

Free BMD shows a Marriage in the September quarter of 1885 between Annie Eliza J Valler and William Henry Mole. Registered in Stepney.

By the 1891 census Henry W Mole aged 39, Shipping Wharf Gate Keeper (born Rochester, Kent) is with his wife Annie E J aged 35 and their children Mabel A (5) (born Wapping, London) and Herbert W (born Rotherhithe, London.

The final census entry that I have is for 1901 and it shows the family at 16 N. Tower Bldg., Wapping, London. William H Mole is aged 49, (born Chatham, Kent), Occupation: Gate Keeper (wharf). He is a worker and with him is his wife Annie E 45, children Mabel A, Herbert W, Sidney R, Arthur E, James W and Edith A. Sidney was born Rotherhithe while Arthur, James and Edith were born in Wapping, London.

There is a Death registered on Free BMD for Eliza Catherine Valler aged 73 at Wandsworth for the March quarter of 1895. This very probably the widow of William Roope Valler, but has not been verified.

To date no further research has been undertaken on the family of William Roope and Eliza Catherine Valler.

The foregoing may be only names, dates and places with a little additional information added, but it at least gives a potted history showing where the family was, who they were and a little on what they were up to.

What was life like in London during the long reign of Queen Victoria....?

It was quite something to travel in 1838, aged just 19, from London to the far-off colony of Australia. And then to repeat the voyage a short time later by returning to the UK. With the still unanswered question as to the part played in the ocean-going travel of this family by Jane Hudson's 3rd husband William West, I have to ask if he was instrumental in assisting the Hudson/Valler family to travel to Australia and then to help William Roope Valler arrange to return to England......?

Did the London Valler family keep in touch with the relatives “Down Under”....? A question to which at the moment there is no answer.

William Roope Valler, born London 1819, travelled to Australia in 1838 and returned to his homeland, where he died (probably in 1878 aged 59) leaving many descendants to carry on his name. His wife Eliza Catherine nee Mole - born c1822 Cuxton, Kent - seems not to have left the country; she died in Wandsworth aged 73, not that far from her place of birth in Kent.