When gold was discovered on a reef in the Transvaal, Martin left Australia, taking his daughters with him to the mining or shantytown, which was ultimately to become the city of Johannesburg and after 1902 when he returned to his wife in Australia, his three daughters had decided to remain in South Africa, where they met and married men who had come out to that country during the Anglo-Boer War.  Sarah remained in Sydney while Martin was away, with their son, Anthony, who was still at school there.

Because it is very difficult to obtain records of births, marriages and death from Ireland, the family has not been able to trace their ancestry very far back.