William Darrah was born in New England. He married Susan R. Noyes in 1833 and, in the 1840s they were based in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He was often away from home as he worked in the merchant sea trade along the Atlantic Coast. In 1850 he sailed round the Horn to San Francisco and soon left for the mines in Calaveras County. Not having much luck there, he was often based in San Francisco where he worked as a carpenter for various local firms or on ships sailing on the Panama Route. Often ill during these years, Darrah died in late 1854.
From the description of Letters, 1840-1854. (California State Library). WorldCat record id: 58945620