Born about in Peacock Gardens St. Thomas, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
Daughter of Wiliam Edwards
and Sarah Ann (Timms) Edwards
[sibling(s) unknown]
Wife of
Benjamin Irwin
— married
14 Jan 1884 in Auckland Registry Office, Auckland, New Zealand
Descendants 
Mother of
Sarah Ann Louisa (Irwin) Wheeler, Gertrude Isabel Irwin, Alice Muriel (Irwin) Keyes and Ada Kathleen (Irwin) Howe
Died
at about age 62
in Ngatea, Hauraki Plains, New Zealand
Profile last modified
| Created 6 Dec 2016
This page has been accessed 133 times.
Biography
Born in England, in Oxford, Sarah's father appears to have run a cartage business, and lived in the trade area near the famous education heart of Oxford.
The family emigrated to New Zealand, and lived in Auckland where her father worked as a bricklayer.
Sarah married at a registry office wedding to Benjamin Irwin, who was a seaman. This was on 14 January 1884. Her age stated on her marriage certificate - 16 - is older than her age assessed from her birth date - 15. It is suspected that this was a hurried, and possibly forced, marriage as Benjamin was a man of 31. Family recollection is that there was no affection between the couple and in fact they do not recall Benjamin even being in the picture - possibly due to him being at sea most of the time, but also it appears they ended up living apart.
The couple soon had a daughter, Sarah Ann Louise Irwin, known as Louie. She was born 9 months after their marriage.
Sarah had four more daughters, all born in Auckland, but never had a son. She also had a daughter born in Sydney, Ada, who has her husband Benjamin named as the father on the birth record. However Ada never lived in New Zealand and appears to have been fostered out and unknown to her other siblings. This may have been because Sarah and Benjamin were estranged by then.
Sarah went to live in Ngatea with one or two of her daughters, and is remembered as being a stern, large woman by her grandchildren.
Sarah died in Ngatea and is buried in Thames in the Totara Cemetery.[1] - photograph in source images.
Sources
- ↑ * Personal viewing of headstone in Thames by g-g-grandaughter
- Personal recollections of great grandchildren
- New Zealand Marriage printout / extract
- New Zealand Death Index
- New Zealand Cemetery Index
- England census information
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E > Edwards | I > Irwin > Sarah Ann (Edwards) Irwin
Categories: Oxfordshire, Needs Birth Record