Mary Ann (Williams) Preece (1801 - 1879)

Born 2 Feb 1801 in Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Wife of James Preece — married 25 Jan 1833 (to 25 Dec 1870) in Kerikeri, Northland, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 10 Nov 1879 at age 78 in Auckland, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ruthe Kenderdine [send private message]

Biography

Mary Ann Williams was born on 2 February 1801 at Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales and christened on 31 May 1801 at Haverfordwest, St Mary, Pembrokeshire, Wales^[1], the daughter of Thomas and Jane (Evans) Williams, and her siblings were Dinah (Williams) Davies Williams-117729 and Jane (White) Guest.White-29052\

Mary Ann was known to have been a Type 1 Diabetic from an early age

Mary arrived at Sydney Cove, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia with her mother and half sister Jane, from England, aboard the Borneo in December 1828 where they were described as "Free Settlers' to differentiate them from the bulk of fellow passengers who were convicted felons being transported to the Penal Colonies of Australia^[2].

Mary became Matron of the Parramatta Australia European Girls School in June 1829, but on being appointed by the Church Missionary Society as the first Matron at the Kerikeri Mission in New Zealand, she arrived at Paihia in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. At first, she was in charge of the European girls school and then the native girls school^[3].

Mary arrived in New Zealand in September 1929, with the Rev. Samuel Marsden.

She and James Preece were married on 25 January 1833 at Kerikeri, Northland, New Zealand. Their children were Harriett Elizabeth (Preece) Spicer, Eliza Jane (Preece) Kenderdine, James Wathen Preece, Mary Ann (Preece) Payne, William Henry Preece, Samuel Marsden Preece, Alfred Azariah Preece, George Augustus Preece and Charles Thomas Preece.

Mary died on 10 November 1879 at Auckland, New Zealand, at the premises of her son in law Dr T.B. Kenderdine, Surgeon. ^[4][5]

NOTES

Pioneering Days: MANNERS AND MODES HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: "Manners and modes of pioneer days were presented at a social evening arranged by the Auckland Historical Society in the T.M.C.A. concert hall ; last night. The president, the Rev. A. jB. Chappell, presided. The hall was specially decorated for the occasion with interesting historic relics, some lent from the Old Colonists Museum, through the courtesy of the City Council and the chief librarian, Mr. John Barr, and others by individual members. Among the more interesting exhibits were a chair in which the wife of John King, one of the early missionaries, was lowered from the brig Active into a ship's boat on arrival at the Bay of Islands, and part of an old altar cloth which had been used in the early days at Kaitaia. A brief review of the early history of New Zealand by Mr. Chappell was interspersed by exhibitions of the costumes actually worn in the pioneering days and arranged chiefly by Mrs. A. M. Wilson. Miss Marnie Spicer, a grand-daughter of an early missionary family, wore several lovely old dresses and quaint shawls and bonnets, which had been the delight of her grandmother over 100 years ago. Miss Spicer's grandmother was Miss Mary Ann Williams, who came to the Bay of Islands with the Rev. Samuel Marsden in 1828, and later married James Preece, who arrived from England a year later. The costumes of a later era—the pioneering days of the immigrant ships and the days of colonising development, which followed toward the close of last century—were shown by Mrs. E. R. Dunnin,,gham and Misses Billy Doust, Molly Stewart, Audrey Dodds and Audrey Stevens. They were dresses of quaint design and flowing lines, which seemed to reflect the spirit of a less hurried age. During the evening an exhibition of Maori weaving was given by Mrs, M. Tuhapi and her family, with explanatory remarks by Mr. George Graham. Miss Tuhapi gave a poi dance, and songs were sung by Miss Rose Perez and Miss Mina Kronfeld. The entire gathering was indicative of the progress made by the society in less than two years of existence." New Zealand Herald 27 July 1935 Page 16 Original

Sources

1. ↑ "Wales, Pembrokeshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KC1S-L2Y : 3 September 2015), Mary Ann Williams, 31 May 1801, Baptism; from "Parish Records Collection 1538-2005," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Haverfordwest, St Mary, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Welsh Archive Series. Citing: Name Mary Ann Williams Event Type Baptism Event Date 31 May 1801 Event Place Haverfordwest, St Mary, Pembrokeshire, Wales
2. ↑ Australia immigration Record: Ancestry.com. "New South Wales, Australia, Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922" [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. Text: "Jane White and female child (Jane White) under 18 years of age arrived in the colony as unassisted immigrants aboard the ship 'Borneo' in Dec 1828. Her elder daughter Mary Ann Williams was also aboard."
3. ↑ Mary Ann Williams.
4. ↑ Death: DEATH. Thames Advertiser, Volume XII, Issue 3469, 12 November 1879 Death Notice: DEATH. " Preece—On November 10, at the residence of T. B. Kenderdine, Surgeon, Eden-street, Mary Ann, relict of the late James Preece, Esq., formerly of the Church Mission Society, in her 79th year."
5. ↑ Pioneering Days

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZWQ-MZVS

"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZWQ-MZVS : 10 June 2021), Mary Ann Williams Preece, ; Burial, Auckland, Auckland Council, Auckland, New Zealand, Symonds Street Cemetery; citing record ID 222640474, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

See also:

• Geni Website.

• Preece Guest Book.

• Laban White (1794-1873).

• NRS5310/4_4823/Borneo_27 Dec 1828/ from the Assisted Immigrants (digital) Shipping Lists on the New South Wales State Archives and Records website at: http://indexes.records.nsw.gov.au/ebook/list.aspx?Page=NRS5310/4_4823/Borneo_27%20Dec%201828/4_482300022.jpg&No=2

• "Australia, New South Wales, Index to Bounty Immigrants, 1828-1842," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FL2H-PNR : 9 March 2018), Mary Ann Williams, 27 Dec 1828; citing Ship Borneo, volume 1A, Western Sydney Records Centre, Kingswood; FHL microfilm 416,877.