Maria Eleanor (Willis) Truman (abt. 1862 - 1937)

Ancestors

Wife of George William Truman — married about 1886 in New Zealand

Descendants

Died 21 Oct 1937 at about age 75 in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

Biography

Maria was born in about 1862.

She married George William Truman on 26 January 1886 at Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. They had at least eleven children:

Hilda Winifred (b. 1887)

Mabel Eleanor (b. 1888)

William George (b. 1890)

Elizabeth Mary (b. 1891)

Eva Louisa (b. 1893)

James Gilbert (b. 1893)

Leonard Arthur (b. 1894)

Sydney Harold (b. 1897)

Elsie Lily (b. 1899)

Ada Frances (b. 1902)

Winifred Eleanor Elizabeth Mary (b. 1906)

Sadly four of their children perished when their house caught fire in January 1896:

THE FATAL BALCAIRN FIRE.

EVENING POST, VOLUME LI, ISSUE 26, 31 JANUARY 1896

(BY TELEGRAPH — PRESS ASSOCIATION) Christchurch, 30th January.

Details of the fire which resulted in the burning to death of four children of Mr. George Truman, of Balcairn, show that all the children slept upstairs in one bed.

The house took fire at about 10 o'clock on Wednesday night. Truman had gone to a neighbour's house, and shortly after he heard his wife screaming. He returned with two neighbours, and found Mrs. Truman outside the house, and the upstairs rooms on fire. He tried to get upstairs, and in by a window, but could not, and the upstairs and top part of the house soon fell in.

Two children who slept downstairs were saved by the mother, who was severely burned about the arms. The house was an old one of wood, with an iron and shingle roof. The fire is thought to have been caused by a defective chimney. The house was insured for £l5O in the Alliance office.

Truman's father and brother were burned to death at Waikari nine or ten years ago.^[1]

The four children who perished were James Gilbert (aged 2), Elizabeth Mary (aged 5), Mabel Eleanor (aged 7) and Hilda Winifred (aged 9).

In the 1896 NZ Electoral Rolls Maria was recorded with her husband George at 179 Hazeldon Road, Sydenham. He was a Carrier.

She died in 1937 at the age of about 75.

Burial

Saturday, 23 October 1937 - Bromley Cemetery, Bromley, Christchurch City, Canterbury, New Zealand. Block number: 14, Plot number: 367^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP18960131.2.31
2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 15 December 2020), memorial page for Maria Eleanor Truman (unknown–21 Oct 1937), Find a Grave Memorial no. 157626957, citing Bromley Cemetery, Bromley, Christchurch City, Canterbury, New Zealand ; Maintained by Southern Man (contributor 48043025) .

• NZ BDM Historical Marriage Records Online: Registration No: 1886/706 | Bride's Given Name(s): Maria Eleanor | Bride's Family Name: Willis | Groom's Given Name(s): George William| Groom's Family Name: Truman | https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/

• NZ BDM Death Records Online: Registration No: 1937/16939 | Family Name: Truman | Given Name(s): Maria Eleanor | Age at Death: 75Y | https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/

• https://heritage.christchurchcitylibraries.com/Cemeteries/interment.asp?id=104725

• 1886 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
  Star (Christchurch), Issue 5533, 3 February 1886, Page 2
  Papers Past Article (accessed 9 December 2023)

• 1937 Newspaper: "Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand"
  Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22230, 22 October 1937, Page 1
  Papers Past Article (accessed 9 December 2023)

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Kirsty Ward for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Kirsty and others.