Mary Ann Elizabeth Carrington

Mary Ann Elizabeth Carrington was born on the 17 Jan 1839 in Manningtree, Essex, England.[1] She was baptised on the 24 Mar the same year at St Mary's in the parish of East Bergholt, Suffolk.[2] Her parents were recorded as Mary Ann Clarke and Thomas Carrington who was a Mariner.[1][2]

At some point in the 1850s Thomas Carrington moved his family to Grimsby. The exact reasons for the decision to relocate are not known but one strong possibility has been suggested by Arthur A. Garner, who performed some research on the Bracegirdles and the Carringtons in 1979*. His theory as to why the Carrington’s came to Grimsby is as follows:

In 1848 the railway came to Grimsby, followed in March 1852 by the opening of a new deep water-water dock including the famous dock tower. This lifted the place out of centuries of being a decayed port and created a fishing boom which brought people flocking in from depressed fishing communities all along the coast.

At some point, Mary met William George Bracegirdle, whose family had also moved to Grimsby for possibly the same reasons as Mary. They were married on 27th September, 1854 in The Holy Trinity Parish Church in Hull.[3]

Mary would have five children by William; William Thomas, Mary Ann Elizabeth, Susannah Helen, Frederick James and George Walter.

The census records of 1861 show William and Mary living in Church St at the time with four children (George had yet to be born at that point), and lists William as a ‘mariner’, an occupation which would later cost him his life. William Bracegirdle was lost at sea in a storm off Grimsby at some point in the early to mid 1860s.

In approximately 1866, Mary Ann, a widow with five children, re-married Edward McCormick a farm labourer from Donegal. In the 1871 Census the now-remarried Mary and her five children are listed as living at 30 New Market St.

In 1875, Mary Ann and Edward, along with the three youngest children, Susannah Helen (18), Frederick James (15) and Walter George (13), emigrated to New Zealand on board the Collingwood. Mary’s eldest children, William Thomas and Mary Ann Elizabeth (Jnr) chose to remain behind in Grimsby. The voyage was an unpleasant one due to an outbreak of scarlet fever. Upon arriving in Wellington, the ship was quarantined, and Mary was sent to Somes Island for treatment. Upon being released the family headed to New Plymouth where they settled.

In 1877, Mary gave birth to Mary Liley McCormick, her sixth child and her first (and only) to Edward. Unfortunately Mary Liley would be taken from them, and she died at nine months old on the 29th March, 1878.

On 5th June, 1907 Mary lost her second husdand when Edward died at Kaimata, aged 75 years.

The following year, Mary went back to England for a visit, along with her son Frederick, his wife Amelia and their daughter Marjorie.

The following extract appears in The Bracegirdle Family History (pg 10) and recounts Mary’s last years:

"Grandma McCormick, as she was affectionately known by her many grandchildren, was always a great favourite with the younger ones. Towards the end of her life she lived in a room which had been specially built on to her son Frederick James’ house at Kaimata. This room was of great interest to the younger generation when they came to visit her, since it was full of interesting knick-knacks and bric-a-brac collected over her many years."

Mary died on 20th February, 1918 at Kaimata, aged 87 years. Mary and her husband Edward are both buried in Inglewood Cemetery.

• Refer to the document 'Letter to Mrs. Dobson from Arthur A. Garner' for more information.

Sources

1. Birth Certificate for Mary Ann Elizabeth Carrington, born 17 Jan 1839, Manningtree, Essex, England; Gro Reference: Year 1839, Qtr Mar, District Tendring, Vol 12, Page 133, General Register Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk). Digital copy in the files of Charlene Newport
2. "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3FX-QZ4 : 22 March 2020), Mary Ann Elizabeth Carrington, 1839.
3. "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NN7R-ZH5 : 13 March 2020), Mary Ann Elizabeth Carrington in entry for William George Bracegirdle, 1854.