Thomas Richard Muzzall was born at Catsfold Farm, West End Lane, Henfield,  in 1841. The 1861 census return shows his occupation as Carpenter. In 1862 he married Rosina Clements at St. Nicholas's Church in Brighton, and in July 1863 Thomas and Rosina set sail for New Zealand in a vessel called The Lancashire Witch.

(Coincidentally, the Surgeon Superintendent on board was a Dr. Duncan McLean from Glasgow, and Duncan's descendant  Dr. Malcolm McLean is now a GP at Henfield.)

Shortly after the departure from England of The Lancashire Witch, scarlet fever broke out, and 3 adults and 23 children died and were buried at sea. The vessel called en route at CapeTown  for fresh provisions, but owing to the disease on board neither saloon nor steerage passengers were permitted to land.

Thomas and Rosina remained in New Zealand for six years before emigrating to Australia, where their descendants now live. Although Thomas Richard Muzzall was literate with perfectly legible handwriting (marriage register, St. Nicholas's Church), by 1895 the electoral roll of Sydney, NSW,  gives their surname as Mozell (and Thomas's occupation as Greengrocer).  Thereafter, various spellings of the name are given on registration documents. Rosina died in 1903, and in 1904 Thomas married Annie Trantwain.  The family are now known as Mozzell (although some have spelt it Mozzelle), but have no reason for the change in spelling.