Fitting her life dates into a timeline shows that she was alive during many many inventions and discoveries - but what fascinated me most (because it gave a window into what must have been a very emotional time) was the birth and early deaths of four of her children. Her first child, James Henry, was christened on 4 February 1860, probably in the same church as Mary Ann (and his father, George). But he is recorded as buried on 12 August of the same year. What happened? I have found that this often happened in rural families. The wife goes back to her mother for the first baby's birth, but the baby only lives a few months. Then the dead infant's name is 'handed down' to a later child of the same gender. Thus, James Henry was born in February and buried in August, and another child is christened James Henry on 21 March 1869. Rather a large gap? Read on...
A year after the first James Henry's burial, Mary Ann gave birth to Bertha Ellen, who was christened in South Milton church on 3 August 1861, then Noah George was christened on 20 February 1864. However, Noah died on 21 January 1865, and Bertha Ellen died of scarlet fever on her fourth birthday: later that same year; her mother, Mary Ann, was not even allowed to be present at the death, because she was seven months pregnant with twins. I wonder if little Noah also died of scarlet fever?
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| c. 1869: Mary Ann (mother) with Lewis, baby James, and Augusta |
Another James Henry followed in 1869, then John Samuel in 1870 (my great grandfather), followed by Amelia Agnes in 1874 - who lived for less than a week.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons for the photograph - Mary Ann wanted to record the tiny lives entrusted to her before they were taken away....
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