Mary Ann Auckram

28 July 1856: Child burned to Death. Warning to Mothers. — On Wednesday, at the Royal Hotel, Onehunga, an inquest was held before H. J. Andrews, Esq., Coroner, and a Jury, upon the body of Mary Ann Ockrim. aged 7 years. The first evidence was that of William Sheldrake, a boatman, who deposed that, on Monday last, he was at the house of Mrs. Cooley, about 12 miles from Onehunga,when he saw deceased, on fire, running from her mother's house to that of Mrs. Cooley. He extinguished the fire by means of throwing a gunny bag over her, and then conveyed her to Mrs. Cooley's. Catherine Ockrim, the mother of deceased, deposed to having left the house for the purpose of borrowing some sugar at a house half a mile off. She left the deceased and her brother, who was three years younger, within the house, in which at the time there was neither fire, matches, nor candles. On her way home, a boy told her that the child was burned to death. She ran to Cooleys, and saw the child alive. Between six and seven took her in a boat to Onehunga, but she died before reaching there. On going home, the little boy said that his sister had drawn together the ashes, and had applied a piece of raupo, from which a spark fell on her clothes and ignited them. Witness, in reply to a question, could not say whether any one called at the house when she was absent. The boy alluded to, being of such tender years, the Jury decided that he could not be sworn as evidence. William Horn deposed to having assisted in conveying the deceased to town, and to her death on the passage. The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidentally burnt." Source: Daily Southern Cross (1 August 1856, p. 2). https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18560801.2.10?query...

Death Registration Number: (reg. 1848/5896). Last name spelt Ockrim.