THE world is full of many wonderful coincidences. Not only after last week’s column are we reunited with Jonathan Moscrop’s emigration diary of 1879, but we have also made the acquaintance of an Aussie with a direct connection.

Jonathan emigrated from Albert Hill, in Darlington, along with his girlfriend, Sarah Matthews.

As they sailed for a new life in the New World, Jonathan wrote a diary which, once he arrived in New Zealand, he posted back to his brother John in Darlington. That diary, which is to be the subject of exhibitions in Scotland and New Zealand later this year, is now in the possession of John’s granddaughter, Jean Porter.

As well as emigrating with her boyfriend, Sarah Matthews was sailing with her parents, her six sisters and her two brothers.

Perhaps Sarah, born 1857, was closest to sister Jane, born 1859, because in 1881 they had a double wedding in a chapel in Oamaru. Sarah married diarist Jonathan, and Jane married William Gray, who was also an emigrant.

Whizz through the generations and Jane and William’s great-greatgrandson, Steve van Anen, is amazingly living in North Shields, North Tyneside. He came travelling from his native New South Wales ten years ago, met a Northumberland girl – and stayed.

He works across the region in security, and only last week his job was bringing him daily to Morton Palms, Darlington.

He saw last week’s Memories and realised how it fitted into his family tree.

“I had no idea of a Darlington connection or that I’d been working so close to Albert Hill where it all started,” he said.

The precise relationship between Steve and Jean is too complicated for Echo Memories’ tiny brain to work out, but it was a great pleasure to bring them and the diary together.