Search This Blog

Saturday, January 7, 2012

ANN MAWBEY IN 19TH CENTURY NEWTOWN

The City of Sydney Archives has a wonderful online website called the Newtown Project.It draws together lots of useful historical information that would take ages to find otherwise.
The site includes Sand's Directories for Newtown, Assessment Books, old maps and even a timeline!
*
Studying this site has given me a greater insight into what was happening with Ann Mawbey, after her husband George died in Newtown in November 1862.
*
Sand's Directories 1864-1880
I first found her listed in the 1864 Sands Directory, living in Egan-street, Newtown.
But then I noticed that a D Williams, possibly her father, was also living in Egan-street.
I then looked at the 1863 edition and found a more conclusive entry, for Williams, David, cooper, Egan-street, Newtown.
So George Mawbey may have died in his father-in-law's home.
And his youngest child, Mary, may have been born there.
*
The next listing for Ann Mawbey is in 1866 as Mrs Ann Mawley, still at Egan Street, but there is no D Williams.
The next time she appears is in 1870 as Mawbey, Mrs Ann, greengrocer, Newtown Road (now King Steet, the main or high street of Newtown).
In 1873 she is living in Albermarle Street, Newtown, on the north side between Denison and Regent Streets.
*
Then I had a big surprise!
In 1875, the listing in the directory is for Mawbey, John, carrier, Albermarle-street.
This was the year Ann's eldest living son was married in Mudgee, to Sarah Clarke, in St John's Church of England.
I had assumed he had stayed in the country until he opened a wood shop in Mudgee in 1878.
But he is still in Newtown in 1876, this time listed as John Mawby.
Was his wife Sarah with him, or with her parents in Mudgee?
*
In 1878, there is no listing for John or his mother.
In 1879, Mrs Ann Mowbay, is listed as living in Albermarle Street and in 1880, Anne Mawbey was still there.
*
Note the variant spellings of Mawbey in the Sand's Directories:
Mawbey, Mawby, Mowbay, Mawley.
*
This may or may not be relevant, but in 1878, a William H Williams was renting a shop and dwelling in Newtown (now King) Street.
Could he have been a relative of Ann Mawbey (nee Williams)?
The rate payer and owner of the property, valued at 58 pounds, was Hannah Barrett.
[Ref: CSA023540, ratebook A, p.53, rate no.9]