I have a great deal of information on Sarah BARBER and John HUNTER but this is a very much shortened version.

The mother of Alfred HUNTER began life as Sarah Bamford SIMPSON, born on 10th July 1828, to Samuel SIMPSON and his wife Hannah nee BAMFORD. She was baptised in the village of Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, on the 13th July 1828

Sarah married Joseph BARBER at Eastwood on 29th April 1845. It was not a happy marriage and they did not have any children.

Joseph died on 21st March 1851, supposedly of rhumatic fever, Withing days the rumour round the village was that he had been poisoned. Sarah, and a supposed lover, Robert INGRAM alias BRIERLY, were eventually arrested and charged with murdering Joseph with arensic. They were both tried at the Nottinghamshire County Assize, beginning 23rd July 1851. Sarah was found guilty but Robert INGRAM was acquitted. Sarah was sentenced to death and in fact the gallows was erected on the steps on the court house. But she was reprieved to life transportaion.

After a short while in Millbank prison, London, Sarah saied on the female convict ship Ann Maria, arriving in Hobart in February 1852. She married John HUNTER, an ex-convict per China) in Hobart on 23rd August 1852. Sarah recieved her Conditional Pardon in July 1858.

Up to the time that the orphanage records were pointed out to me I was not aware that Sarah and John had had children. At the present time I know nothing else about what became of them