Mary (Reed) Fysh (1868 - 1943)

Born 28 Apr 1868 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of Frederick Wilmot Fysh — married 28 Mar 1894 in Bow, London, England

Descendants

Died 24 May 1943 at age 75 in Kew, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Mary Reed was born on 28th April 1868 in Dunorlan Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, United Kingdom. She was the youngest daughter of Henry Reed, a landowner, shipowner, merchant, philanthropist and evangelist, and his second wife, Margaret Frith. ^[1]

Mary (Reed) Fysh migrated from England to Tasmania.

The family migrated to Tasmania (Australia) – for her father it was a return – aboard the Sobraon in April 1873; settling at Mount Pleasant, Launceston. Mary was later sent to the Presbyterian Ladies College, Melbourne, Victoria. ^[2] Her father passed away in 1880.

Mary distinguished herself as a pianist. ^[2]

After graduating, Mary moved to London, where she worked amongst the poor in the 'slum' districts. In 1888, she went out to China with the China Inland Mission (CIM). She was back in Launceston in 1890 suffering a bout of asthma but soon after returned to China. ^[2]

Mary married Frederick Wilmot Fysh on 28th March 1894 in Bow, London. ^[3] Returning to Tasmania, they made their home in The Gables Launceston and then Ketteringham St Leonards, ^[2] where they had three sons and two daughters:

1. Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh KBE DFC (1895-1974); named for Hudson Taylor, the founder of CIM; served in the Light Horse and Australian Flying Corps during the First World War; co-founder of QANTAS in 1923; married Nell Dove
2. Henry Frith Fysh (1896-1922); died as a result of illness attained during the First World War
3. Mary Geraldine Fysh (1896-1987); never married
4. Margaret Dorothea Boileau 'Peggy' Fysh (1900-77); married George Alexander
5. Graham Stuart Fysh (1903-76); became a pastoralist in Central West Queensland; married Jean McMaster

Mary had received the then substantial inheritance of £15,000 ($30,000) from her father's estate when she turned 25 years in April 1893. At Ketteringham she invested some of this in restorations and improvements, including building stables, constructing a tennis court and establishing fine rose and kitchen gardens. Dividends from shares in the Mount Bishop tin mine enabled her to send her children to fine schools. ^[2]

In 1937 Mary was living with her two daughters in Normanby Road, Kew, Victoria. ^[2]

Aged 75 years and having been widowed for 23 years, Mary passed away on 24th May 1943 in Kew. ^[4] She was survived by two sons, two daughters, two daughters-in-law and at least two grandchildren.

Sources

1. ↑ UK FreeBMD Birth Index Jun qtr 1868, vol 2a, page 535
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Fysh, Sir Hudson. Qantas Rising: The Autobiography of the Flying Fysh. Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1965. ISBN 978 1 876561 53 6
3. ↑ UK FreeBMD Marriage Index Mar qtr 1894, vol 1c, page 898; registered at Poplar
4. ↑ Victoria BMD Death Index: FYSH, Mary; Death; Mother: Margaret FRITH; Father: REID, Henry; Place: KEW; Age: 75; Year: 1943; Ref: 4735/1943

See Also:

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/130123902/mary-fysh: accessed 08 October 2022), memorial page for Mary Reed Fysh (28 Apr 1868–24 May 1943), Find a Grave Memorial ID 130123902, citing Fawkner Memorial Park, Fawkner, Moreland City, Victoria, Australia; Maintained by Donald L Reid (contributor 48130349) .