Mary Ann Willis (1850 – 1917)

Mary Ann Willis was born in 1850 in Winslow in Buckinghamshire, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth, nee Bradbury, Willis.

 She was recorded with her parents Thomas and Elizabeth at Sheep Street in Winslow in the 1851 census. Thomas was recorded a painter and glazier and Elizabeth a dressmaker.

The family moved to Banbury soon after the 1851 census as Mary’s sister Elizabeth Jane was born in the town in 1854 followed in 1859 by another sister Roseina.

Mary was living at 11 South Street in Southwark with her parents, brother Thomas aged 8 and sisters Elizabeth Jane aged 6 and Roseina aged 1 in the 1861 census. Her father Thomas was a painter.

Ten years later in the 1871 census Mary was recorded with her parents and siblings Thomas aged 18, Elizabeth Jane aged 16, Roseina aged 11, Leonora aged 7 and Frederick aged 4 at Miles Stone Road in Stone near Dartford in Kent. Her father and her brother Thomas were both painters but Mary had no occupation recorded.

Mary’s mother died in January 1874 and was buried on 24 January 1874 at St Mary the Virgin in Stone. Subsequently in the 1881 census Mary was living with her father Thomas, sister Roseina aged 21 and brother Frederick aged 14 in High Street in Rickmansworth. Thomas was recorded as a painter but Mary had no occupation recorded.

Mary continued to live in High Street in Rickmansworth after her father’s death in 1890 and she was recorded as the head of the house and a dressmaker in both the 1891 and 1901 censuses. Her brother Frederick was also present in the 1891 census and he followed his father and was a painter.

In the 1911 census, recorded as Annie, she was living with two of her nephews, Stanley Arnold Penn and Eric Fred Penn (sons of her sister Elizabeth Jane) at Egham, Cambridge Street, Shirley in Hampshire. Annie had no occupation recorded so was running the house.

Mary died 8 March 1917 at 59 Cheap Street in Newbury, the residence of her sister Elizabeth Jane Penn and her husband Frederick. The cause of death was bronchial asthma, and her death was reported by Frederick Penn. She was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 8 March 1917.

Mary’s sister and brother-in-law were both buried at Newtown Road Cemetery, Elizabeth Jane Penn on 29 July 1931 and Frederick Penn on 23 June 1937.

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