In 1865, William Sykes set out with some companions to trap rabbits in Silver Wood, in the north of England. Heavily armed gamekeepers lay in wait for them; a fierce and bloody battle ensued in which the head gamekeeper was mortally wounded; and William and his friends were eventually arrested and tried for murder. William was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to transportation and exile to Australia's Swan River Colony. Myra, his wife, was left to raise four children with limited resources and in the face of hostility from William's family. She had no idea that she would never see her beloved husband again. Their tale has been reconstructed through some letters between Myra and William, a letter to William's father from one of his son, William's shipboard journal and a few official documents. A moving story of love, courage and endurance.Illustrated with black and white photographs.