William Buckley

William Buckley was born in 1780 in the small village of Marton, the house that he was born in still exists in Marton lane, however these days it is a private dwelling whereas in the past it had used to be the original village school before later becoming a Post Office.

The interesting story concerning William Buckley is that when he was older he became mixed up in a mutiny on board a ship, this resulted in a court case where he was found guilty and duly transported to Australia. While in prison in Australia he managed to devise a means of escape which he succeeded in doing and ended up living for the next thirty two years with a tribe of Aborigines, eventually marrying the deceased Chiefs wife. At 6ft 6in he would have towered over the Aborigines, and it is said that he had almost forgotten how to speak his native language. William died in 1856 aged 76 after falling from his horse, and Buckleys Cave and Buckleys Falls in Australia are named after him, and also the saying “doing a Buckley”.

William Buckleys birthplace in Marton lane in the county of Cheshire.