I am trying to find out information about a Mary Ann Southee born in Birchington, Kent in 1835. Her parents are John Southee and Sophia Sharpe.
John Southee married Ann Brooks in 1821 and they had 3 children: Mary, John Morgan and James. James and Mary were baptized in the Ebenezer Chapel (Independent), Birchington, Kent. The dates are a bit difficult to read as the copy is very light. Ann died in 1827.
John Southee then married Sophia Sharpe. They had a number of children born and baptized in the Ebenezer Chapel. Children baptized in the Chapel were William (1830), Alfred (1832), George (1833), Mary Ann (1835) and Henry Thomas (1837).
John and Sophia emigrated from England to New Zealand on the "Lady Nugent" with 6 children. The ship left Gravesend in 1840 and arrived in Wellington in 1841. Sophia did give birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, on the ship. Two of the children from John's previous marriage, John Morgan and James, remained in England and can be found in the 1841 Census living with Grandparents Michael and Mary Brooks in Elmstone. From articles in New Zealand Past Papers I believe that Mary born 1824/25, went with her father and step-mother.
There are a number of articles on Past Papers from interviews with Mary Ann Short, formerly Mary Ann Southee. She states that she came to New Zealand in 1841 and she was aged about 16 or 17. In another article she gives her birth day as 17 December 1824 and that she came with 2 brothers and 3 sisters. This could be 2 sisters and 3 brothers. In interviews Mary Ann also mentions her brother Henry Thomas Wilkinson Southee who is several years younger that her. Mary Ann Short/Southee died in 1925 aged 100 years and 6 months. One child of Joseph and Sophia died in 1841 which possibly could have been on the ship when travelling to NZ.
The child I am trying to find out about is Mary Ann who was baptized in 1835 in the Ebenezer Chapel, parents John and Sophia Southee. There are a number of trees on Ancestry that have the Mary born in 1825 as dying in 1825 and the Mary Ann baptized in 1835 as being Mary Ann Short, the one who died in 1925 aged 100 years.
Regards Kaybron