Dennis was part of a reasonably large family and had 3 brothers and two sisters. The 30th March 1851 Census identified Dennis (age 15), Julia (age 11), Ralph (age 3) and Henry (age 1). Dennis's older brother Sam (identified within the IGI Individual Records) would have been approximately 16 years of age and his sister Mary Ann ( also identified within the IGI Individual Records) would have been approximately 13 years of age, however they were not recorded as being at home at the time of the 1851 Census.
On the 25th of March 1865 Dennis was sentenced in Leeds, England for assault and robbery. As a result, Dennis was deported and sailed from Portland England on the 16th of October 1866, aboard the ship Corona and bound for Australia . The "Corona" was embarking upon its maiden voyage and arrived in Fremantle, on the 22nd of December 1866. The voyage took 67 days. (See "The Ship, The Voyage" section.)
Dennis left behind his wife Mary Ann Carr and two children Emily (approximately 5 or 6 years of age) and Fanny (either 3 months or 3 years of age). They lived in Sheffield, England at the time. Mary Ann Carr and the children were not likely to see Dennis again, however there remained a certain bond between Dennis and Mary Ann that would unfold in the years that followed.