THE RUINS OF PEMBROKE CASTLE DOMINATE THE CENTRE OF HAVERFORDWEST.
Mary Ann Williams was born in 1801, the first child of Thomas and Jane (nee Evans) Williams. She was baptised in the church of St Mary the Virgin at Haverfordwest, which is an ancient seaport and town in the south-west of Wales.
Thomas Williams and his wife were connected to the Williams and Evans families, solicitors and attorneys of Harverfordwest and Bristol. Thomas Williams died, probably in 1803. It appears that there were no other children from this marriage.
THE RUINS OF PEMBROKE CASTLE DOMINATE THE CENTRE OF HAVERFORDWEST.
Mary Ann lived for some time with her uncle William Williams solicitor at Stapleton, near Bristol. Her mother remarried in 1816.
Laban White, Mary Ann's stepfather, was in his early twenties when he married Jane Williams, and Jane was aged about thirty-eight. There was one child from this marriage, also Jane White, baptised in Bristol in December 1817.
Laban White had served an apprenticeship as chemist and druggist in Bristol but is listed in a Bristol directory as china and glass dealer. In October 1821 he was committed to Bristol Gaol on a charge of embezzlement. He was sent to trial the following January and sentenced to fourteen years transportation. He left in the convict ship "Eliza" on her second voyage to New South Wales. The ship arrived in November 1822. Laban was assigned to a wealthy landowner, William Cox, and sent inland to Bathurst.
His wife Jane, daughter Jane, and step-daughter Mary Ann Williams were left behind in England. It was probable that the women were virtually destitue. Some support came from Uncle William Williams and his wife Harriott (nee Ball Wilmott). A sentence of fourteen years meant that Laban could never return to Britain. The women expected never to see Laban again.
However by 1828 the NSW Governor Sir George Darling was encouraging families to emigrate and join their convict menfolk. Jane White with her daughters Jane White and Mary Ann Williams embarked for Sydney on the "Borneo". After various mishaps, the ship arrived in port. Laban White drove to the docks to meet them.
In the intervening time Laban had been employed by William Cox first as butler and then estate manager at Clarendon, near Windsor. However while at Bathurst he had fathered a child, Lydia Jane, to a young convict woman. The child was adopted into another family, although Laban acknowledged and supported his daughter.
Laban became a prosperous and well-respected member of the community. Laban's daughter Jane White married George Guest at St Peter's Church of England in 1834. There were fourteen children, all (half) nieces and nephews of Mary Ann Williams. Laban's daughter Lydia Jane White married Richard Edwards a chemist. There were five children from this marriage.
Mrs Jane White died in 1846. Her tombstone bears the words "Thy Will By Done". Laban White died in 1873.
THIS BUILDING IS BELIEVED TO HAVE ONCE HOUSED
THE PARRAMATTA SCHOOL OF INDUSTRY
Mary Ann sought employment in NSW. She was appointed by the Misses Marsden to be the first matron of the Parramatta School of Industry, which opened in June 1829. The school was troubled by financially, but Mary Ann received a glowing report from the trustees.
In September 1831 Mary Ann embarked for Paihia in the Bay of Islands, where she was to assist with the European "Girls' School" of the Church Missionary Society. She later transferred to Kerikeri Mission where she assisted with the "Native Girls' School".
In January 1833 she married Catechist James Preece in the CMS chapel overlooking the Kerikeri Basin. It was said that her young Maori pupils helped to stitch her wedding dress.
The Rev Alfred Brown conducted the service. The Rev Henry Williams noted in his diary for Friday the 25th:
"The Wedding!!! At break of day the natives surrounded Mr Baker's house (where was the bride elect) making a vociferous noise, several making speeches together, the purport of which was, that the lady should not depart from the settlement unless a very great fee was paid down, worthy of her great excellencies. The boys after amusing themselves at the expense of the happy pair for some considerable time, obtained their fee, which was a pair of blankets for the purpose of buying pigs, for a feast in honour of the great occcasion. Mr Brown performed the ceremony which took place at 11 o'clock. After partaking of a cold collation, the Bride and Groom set off for Waimate, and we for Paihia, where we arrived about 4 o'clock ..."
The young couple lived at the Waimate mission until leaving to open the Southern Mission at Puriri.
