I see your post is several years old, but I'm interested to know if you've found additional information. I am also looking for a John Pell who is recorded on my 3xgreat grandmother's baptism as her father. That is the only mention of him I can find, so I believe he must have either been killed, detained legally or militarily in some way, or left the area voluntarily before her birth in 1852 in Ontario, or definitely before her baptism in Quebec several years later. If he was, indeed, your John Pell, he could have left in 1851, before the birth of his child, possibly without even knowing he was to be a father. If you, or anyone reading this, has additional information I would be very appreciative. He has been my brick wall for years.

Hi Smitty, Bit of an update, of the Pell Family, as advised John arrived with his younger brother Robert in 1848, Richard died in 1853 of the Flu in Melbourne, Coburg, John was not a witness on the Death certificate rather his other Brother Charles who had arrived in 1851 with his new Wife. The Extended Family of the Brothers ie; their Mother and Father arrived with 5 other siblings on the Success in 1852. One of those siblings was Joseph aged 17. Family history has it that he did not like Australia and by 1853 had departed to Canada, I am starting to think that it may of been possible for John also to have gone with Joseph? they just both disappear and cannot be found on any other record in Australia.
On other Ancestry tree's some People have John Pell dying in SA in 1916, this is not correct, it is not our John! The Pells or Inlaws of the Pells had already settled in Canada from in the 1840'sfrom Lincolnshire. Going by info of my late Cousin who studied the Pell Family for over 50 years. He believes that this was a likely chance. As I said in my original post on their Fathers Death Cert ie, William Pell,in Kyneton, he stated that John and Joseph were both deceased. No shipping records can be found, however this would not be strange during these times of the Gold Rush, were manifests were a bit dodgy, many returned to the US and Canada as Crewman!!! I believe that we should now move our searches to Canada.

Thanks for your response Sassy2010. I have been thinking I'll never find him, but it seems there are still some places to look. My John Pell seems to have simply vanished from his wife's (?), Sarah. life somewhere between 1851 and 1859. She was from Dunham, Quebec, but they could have met anywhere. I have found Pells that were living in the area, but no record of a John beyond his name on the baptism record in 1859. It is doubtful that Sarah went to Australia, but perhaps they met elsewhere in Canada? Or in New England somewhere? Or in Detroit? Soon after 1859 Sarah was remarried, so either John had died by then, or he left (gold rush?) and she divorced him, or it's possible they were never married at all. I am happy to share any information that would help you from my search in Canada. I don't know if we seek the same John Pell, but if not, at least we may run across information relating to each other's JP. You never know where a clue will turn up.