David Farnsworth, his wife Martha and their family sailed from Plymoth in England aboard the bark “Orient” on the 11th Aug 1840. They arrived in the Port Phillip district of NSW (State of Victoria) on the 13th December 1840. At this time the population was 10,291. During the period 1829 - 1860 assisted and unassisted immigrants amounted to 538,234.
David worked in Williamstown Vic. for 2 years before taking up employment as a miner with the South Australian Mining Association at Kooringa, a mining town built on the mining lease in South Australia. Today we know this area as Burra. It was here that Martha, David’s wife, and three children died. He remarried in S.A. then moved to Avoca Vic. an area where gold mining had commenced. David’s wife Hannah Phillips Wiltshire had family living here. A daughter, Hannah, was born but Hannah PW died the next day. David married again, but his new wife and a child died. Also young Hannah died. David was to marry again, Margaret being his new wife and they had 2 sons, Francis and Joseph. In 1863 David died, aged 52. He was survived by Margaret and his two young sons, together with six children from his first marriage to Martha.
It can only be speculated today as to why they emigrated from England.
This was taken from the Farnsworth (Allan) home page. http://www.allan.farnsworth.net/page4.htm