Mary Ann Brown

Biography
Mary Ann was born in Madeley, Ironbridge and christened in the Parish church. Her father, John, and mother, Harriett (nee Gilbert) had married in 1813. The family moved to Upholland, Lancashire where her sister Harriet was born and after that, south, to live in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, where Mary Ann's sister, Sarah were born. She was christened in the Parish Church. Their Father, John, had by 1816, joined the Excise Service, and the family's location in both Lancashire and Hertfordshire occurred from his work in the Revenue Services, his role, collecting Excise levies -Kings Langley from the canal trade on the Grand Union. The baptism records for Harriet and Sarah put his occupation as 'Excise officer'. Mary Ann's baptismal record, Madeley, put him, at the time (1814) as a currler; a processor of leather for saddlers &c. to manufacture. ° The 1841 Census in Ringwood recorded Mary Ann and husband, Richard Brown, living at Meeting House Lane, a house overlooking the Furlong an area of open land along the edge of the town, in the far distance the New Forest. Mary Ann and Richard had married in the Parish Church, Fordingbridge in December 1836. The marriage allegation [Winchester Diocese] coupling with the 1841 Census, placing Mary Ann's mother and all her siblings, except Sarah, to be residents of a cottage in Burgate, a mile or so out of Fordingbridge; also, confirming Mary Ann's residence at the date of her marriage in the Parish of St. Mary's Fordingbridge. Mary Ann's father, John Pritchard, was stationed along the Hampshire Coastline; his placing his family in safety some distance away from his work, which was dangerous and highly unpopular in the coastal reaches along the south coast of England. ° The long association between the Pritchard family, once from the borders of Shropshire and Staffordshire, and Browns, who had for generations lived in or near Ringwood and neighbouring Poulner, began with Richard and Mary Ann marriage a short time before Christmas 1836. ° In the first half of the Nineteenth Century, a carrier, John Jubb, operated a regular service through Fordingbridge, linking Ringwood and further afield to Salisbury. Almost certainly members of the family used his service travel to and fro between Ringwood and Fordingbridge. ° In 1841 the census recorded Sarah Pritchard her sister living with the Brown family in Ringwood. °
The Brown family lived in a substantial house next to the old Meeting House, Ringwood. A poster, dating 1801 for an auction, relating to the house described it, 'Lot 6: a good Brick and Tiled House, with large wine-vault and cellar, two parlours and other convenient rooms, Chaise and Fuel House, three-stalled stable and a walled garden with two tenements, adjoining in the several occupations of Mr. Joseph Warden, John .. & Eliza Pearce, pleasantly enjoying a position overlooking the Furlong in Ringwood'. Notes which George Pritchard Brown's son, Gordon, prepared described how the children in the Brown family had played with Mary Ann's younger brother, George Pritchard who would have stayed with his older sister and in those days, the Furlong was on the edge of the town centre and was open to the countryside which lay beyond. ° Mary Ann's siblings were: Harriett, born before Oct. 13 1816, Sarah born before Nov 28 1819, Emma born before Nov. 7 1822; John Gilbert born before September 25 1825 and George Pritchard born March 1 1827. Emma, John and George were born whilst their father and mother lived in the ancient Winchester Parish of St. Peters, Cheesehill near the Cathedral and its precincts. °
The History of Trinity Church Congregational Church, Ringwood 1781 to 1981 noted: 'Another prominent member of .. Trinity Church .. was Mr. G.P. Brown, for many years auditor of the church accounts. In 1897 he presented a large Communion chair .. to the Church .. in memory of Eileen Marianne Klasen-Brown, who died at an early age of 19. Mr. G.P. Brown was one of four generations of his family to hold parochial offices in Ringwood and he himself was Registrar and Clerk to the Board of Guardians. He died in 1914, his widow presented the Individual Communion set in his memory. His brother, Mr Albert R. Brown, who had been in the service of the the Japanese Government organising the mercantile marine is described on the brass plate as a Knight of the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, presented the Communion Table in memory of his mother .. Mary Ann Brown .. in 1901. ° Mary Ann Brown was buried at Ringwood Cemetery: August 12 1872 -Grave No. V003

Sources

[1] Baptism of Mary Ann Pritchard: Register, Madeley Parish Church : Shropshire County Archives Recd. (SRO/Rg/7) 2280/Rg/7 : cc.source
[2] Marriage
(i) -to Richard Brown : "England, Hampshire Parish Registers, 1538-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGQL-FYZ8 : 13 February 2021), Richard Brown & Mary Ann Pritchard, 15 Dec 1836; citing Marriage; possibly other reference information Lancashire Recd. Office and Hampshire Recd. Office, England; FHL microfilm 1,041,294.
(ii) Hampshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
Mary Ann Pritchard & Spouse: Richard Brown
Record Type Marriage
Marriage Date & Place 15 Dec 1836 : Fordingbridge, Southampton, England
accessed: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/90071578:62423
(iii) "England, Hampshire Bishop's Transcripts 1680-1892," database & images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLY4-YKJS : 16 March 2018), Richard Brown & Mary Ann Pritchard, 15 Dec 1836; citing Marriage, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom,"England, Hampshire Bishop's Transcripts 1680-1892," database & images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLY4-YKJS : 16 March 2018), Richard Brown and Mary Ann Pritchard, 15 Dec 1836; citing Marriage, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, Lancashire Record Office and Hants. Recd. Office, U.K.
(iv) Hampshire, England, Allegations for Marriage Licences, 1689-1837
Name Mary Ann Pritchard
Birth Date abt. 1815
Allegation Date & Place 11 Dec 1836 : Fordingbridge, St Mary, Hampshire, England
Age 21 Residence Fordingbridge, St Mary, England
Spouse Richard Brown
Spouse Age 21
Spouse Residence Ringwood, St Peter and St Paul, England
Vol. Hampshire Allegations for Marriage Licences Vol 1
[3] Census
(i) Census Returns 1841,1851,1861 & 1871; 'The Furlong', Meeting House Lane with further details in Richard Brown's Profile
(ii) England : Ringwood Census, Meeting House Lane -Richard Brown Head, 1861
Class: Rg 9; Piece: 668; Folio: 15; Page: 23; GSU roll: 542681https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/7995868:8767
accessed: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/7995868:8767
[4] Ringwood Town Council: Burial Records: Tabulation of dates of Burial, Dec. 2021
[5] Notes upon Brown & Pritchard family, by Richard Gordon Brown
[6] NatWest Bank -archived Recds.
(i) From Staff Legers -Letter, National Westminster Bank PLC Archivist, London Aug 29 1984 commencement and retirement dates
[6] History of Trinity Church Ringwood 1781 to 1981 ps. 17-18. Printed by Davey & Winterson Ltd, Bruce Grove, Watford, Herts