Mary Jane (Brown) Harris (1821 - 1898)

Born 4 Nov 1821 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of Samuel Gregory Harris — married 27 Jul 1841 in New Plymouth, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 9 Jan 1898 at age 76 in Wilson Street, Wanganui, New Zealand

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Biography

Passenger ship "William Bryan" left Plymouth for NZ on 19 Nov 1840 (Before Carrington had even arrived in NZ to choose the site for the new settlement) and arrived in Queen Charlotte Sound 31 March 1841 where they were given directions to the location of the new settlement. On the passenger list of the "William Bryan" are Mary Brown and Mr & Mrs William Edgecombe and their two sons and a daughter. Mary Brown was the daughter of Mrs Edgecombe to a previous marriage and was soon to become the wife of Samuel Gregory Harris.

From Wanganui Chronicle 10 Jan 1898 Another old resident in the person of Mrs Harris~~, wife of Samuel G Harris, passed away at 2.15 at her late residence, Wilson St, yesterday. She was 77 years of age and a native of Plymouth. She came out to the colony on March 31st 1841, and settled in New Plymouth, where she was married , coming to Wanganui in the year 1858. Mr & Mrs Harris celebrated their golden wedding six years ago. She leaves three sons, four daughters and a large number of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Mary Jane BROWN - Emigrant arrival into New Zealand: 1839 aged 18. [Source: copy of 'list of emigrants per William Bryan' 12th November 1840. From the papers in Crown Lands Office, New Plymouth, W.H. Skinner, 6th October 1902. Mary BROWN, stepdaughter of William Edgecombe. Married to Samuel Harris.

Mary Jane BROWN - Obituary: From the 'Budget' 15th January 1898:- Monday's Wanganui Chronicle reports of that another resident in person Mrs Harris, wife of Mr Samuel G. Harris, passed away at 2:15 at her late residence, Wilson Street, on Sunday. She was 77 years of age and a native of Plymouth. She came out to the Colony on March 31st, 1841 and settled in New Plymouth, where she was married, going to Wanganui, in the year 1858. Mr and Mrs Harris celebrated their golden wedding anniversary 6 years ago. She leaves 3 sons, 4 daughters, and a great number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. To this we may add that Mr Harris was one of the party which accompanied Mr. F.A. Carrington, arrived here in the 'Brougham' on February 11th, 1841. Mrs Harris was a Miss Edgecombe, and came out in the 'Wlliam Bryan'. [Source: From the records of the 'Taranaki Museum'.]

Mary Jane came to New Zealand her mother, Mary, and her step-father, William Edgecombe. She died in Wanganui in 1898 at the age of 77 and was buried in the Wanganui Cemetery.

Sources

• NZ BDMs Marriage #1841/39, Death #1898/389. Private Family Tree. Death printout, number 11.