Are you a Rerden or have a Rerden in your family? That's Rerden with two ees and no aas, iis or oos! Then you are probably related to the Rerden family who emigrated to Australia from the Channel Islands in 1866 on the ship Netherby. The Netherby was shipwrecked on King Island in Bass Strait and amazingly everyone on board survived, over 450 people. There is an excellent web site on the Netherby Shipwreck at http://netherby.homestead.com/

James and Eleanor Rerden were on the Netherby with their children, James William, Philip John and Charles Henry and when they were all rescued ended up in Melbourne. They had a further four children in Australia, Edwin Joseph, Ernest Albert, Florence Maude and Oscar Arthur.

I am researching the Rerden family history, particularly from 1866 to 1945, and would love to hear from anyone who wants to share some part of the story as they know it.