Hello , Please Help If you can.

i am researching my wife's family here in Australia and doing ok. I have found that her g.g.gradfather was Ponsonby Harris Born 1821 to Isaac and Hannah(nee Fawcett). I know the family were quakers at the Pardshaw meeting house and the lived Brigham, Isaac's brother (also Ponsonby married to Sarah Dixon from the Fawcett Clan) lived in Eaglesfield. Isaac's parents were Joseph and Mary.

The problem I have is that Ponsonby was married in UK 1843 to Isabella Eccles and had children. In 1856 two of his children die and then in 1858 he is on a ship working his passage as crew to Australia. In Sydney he married another woman, Ellen Darby, and fathered another family. He does declare himself as a quaker on census records here in Aus, so I doubt bigamy. So what happenned to his UK family? What was his reason for leaving.
If anybody has any info about the rather extended Harris Clan I would be very greatful. I have lots of bits of info about cousins running flax mills, mines and railways. Also want to find where the first name Ponsonby came from ( believe it to be Grandmothers surname but not sure).

Sorry this is so long, but then this is a long game we are all playing.

Graham