Hello Marie, Is that birth date correct for Mary Ann?
Just thinking she would have been 37 on marriage then had all those children. (good grief! how did they do it)?
Not much in the Aus. papers re Eastmead although the two I found looked interesting.

Thanks heaps janilye. Point taken about her age - word of mouth from my Father's cousin - I have no idea how he came up with that date! All I have proof of is John Hill's will & the 1853 marriage & my Grandfather's birth in 1866 in Wellington.

Okay so I gather this below is your John Hill
NZ.BDM
MARRIAGES
1853/828 Mary Anne Eastmead John Hill
DEATHS
1884/2536 Hill John age 61Y which makes his birth c. 1823
Cemetery Details
Last name HILL
First name John
Age 61 Years
Service provided Burial
Burial date 08/08/1884
Cemetery Bolton St
Section Public
Plot number 86 1/2.P
Record number 97173
In NSW.BDM these below are the only two deaths I could find for Mary A/Ann Hill
on the dates you indicated.
1358/1877 HILL MARY A AGE 39 YEARS DIED SYDNEY SYDNEY
475/1872 HILL MARY A JAMES JESSIE SYDNEY
You need to get a hold of the HILL/EASTMEAD marriage certificate.

Death notice doesn't say much more for 'HILL 1877' just the date.
The Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 21 September 1877
DEATHS
HILL... August 31, Sydney, Mary Ann Hill, 39.

Then I did find this below and included it in case it might be a relative. (bit of a long shot) Just goes to show how common the name is and you do need documents.
HILL Mary Ann Death notice 08OCT1893 Death 65 late of Wellington, New Zealand Sydney Morning Herald 09OCT1893
NSW.BDM
[HILL —October 8, at the residence of her son-in-law (W.
A Mason), Mary Ann, the beloved wife of John Hill,
late of Her Majesty's Customs, Wellington. New Zealand, and mother of Mrs C. G. Richardson, of Arncliffe,
aged 65 years. Her end was peace. Wellington papers please copy.]
DEATHS
1526/1893 HILL MARY A WILLIAM MARY A SYDNEY

Thank you again for your work on my behalf - I am very grateful. I think your long-shot is it!! I will work with it & keep you posted!

Re: NZ marriages
Under the Marriage Act of 1854, the only particulars recorded were:
∗ The date and place of marriage
∗ The full names, ages, and conjugal status of the bride and bridegroom
∗ The occupation of the bridegroom
** The witnesses’ name, addresses and occupations

As their marriage was the year before the law! only the witnesses names were given & they don't appear to be family. So no details of parents or her mother's maiden name. Mary Ann signed her 'mark' although she had made some attempt to write it!

Thanks again
Regards
Marie

On 23 September 1867 a ship by the name of John Temperley arrived in Hobson's Bay from London via Plymouth one of the passengers onboard was Elizabeth J Trevethick.
The Argus, Tuesday 24 September 1867
ARRIVED. SEPT. 23.
John Temperley, ship, 975 tons, John W. Tucker,
from London, via Plymouth 3rd July. 387 Govern-
ment and warrant passengers ; Mr. Arthur Goullet,
medical officer in charge. Fenwick Brothers, agents.

Can you comment on a 23 year old traveling alone, paying her own fare - is that likely? I can't yet find a full passenger list for the John Temperley, but hey what a find!!
That death notice for Mary Ann was a trove! "Mother of Mrs. C.G. Richardson", is in fact Mary Ann junior who married Charles George RICHARDSON in 1890 in Wellington. The house where she died was the home of another daughter Elizabeth who married William Archibald MASON in Wellington, NZ in 1877.
Fortunately I thought to check the "Wellington papers please copy." It said "after a long painful illness." That probably explains why John took her back to Sydney, if her daughters were there to look after her. (btw she had at least 10/11 children I have listed - I have found them all on the RGO index with Mary Ann & John HILL listed as the parents.) I haven't found any of their burials yet - possibly because Rockwell cem. records is down at present. I think I'll get Mary Ann HILL's death certificate next.Thank you so much for all you have done - it's sure given me some further leads!! Blessings Marie

Ha! back then 23 was practically an old maid. The vessel may have had a ship's matron for single women who were not chaperoned. If she were under 18 she would have had to be accompanied by a companion/chaperone.
From 1867 we were importing far more females than males and I think it was the British Ladies Emigrant Society who supplied these "Good Christian Matrons for the preservation of order and propriety among the female passengers". Indeed it would have been a very long 6 months.
The Argus, Tuesday 1 October 1867
[Of the 123 female immigrants brought to the colony by the John Temperley, twenty
have been sent to Geelong, and eight to each of the seaboard ports, viz. Warmambool, Belfast, Portland, and Port Albert.
The remainder are now at the Melbourne
depot, awaiting engagements, the time appointed for hiring being to-morrow, after
eleven o'clock. Forty-five of the girls brought out by the John Temperley were selected in London by Miss Rye, and seventy-eight by
the agents of the emigration Commissioners.
The immigrants appear to be of the sort
usually sent out, and they are classified as
follows:
Miss Rye's immigrants...
Laundresses, 5; nurses and nursemaids, 12; cooks
5; housemaids, 6; general servants, 25.
The immigrants selected by the commissioners
agents
Cooks, 2; housemaids, 11; nurses
6; general servants. 46. Five of the immigrants are not classified.

Here is the full passenger list for the John Temperley

Forgot to mention, if she were Government assisted passenger she would have traveled free or paid a very small subsidy/fee.
If a warrant passenger a friend or relative in the colony would have paid the warrant to the Government for her passage.

Again Janilye, huge thanks for your ground-work. I received Mary Ann HILL's death cert. today from NSW. That didn't take long at all (email) What a trove of information that is!! It gave us another daughter's married name BENNETT - 9/11 children had out-lived her-2 had died in infancy in Wellington. Also Mary Ann's mother's name of ABBOTT & father was a weaver. Mary Ann died of cancer of uterus & bronchitis. The daughter who gave the information also stated that John had Timothy as a middle name, which if correct will make searching somewhat easier.We have his birth now in Arbroath Scotland. A searcher also found Mary Ann's grave at Waverley Cemetery, Sydney with other family beside!! So we are well on the way now with your help! I hope that someone else now searching can light on the surnames mentioned & catch some wind to help their search! So grateful Marie

Hi,

The Mary Ann Eastmead who was married to John Hill in NZ is my husband's great great grandmother. She was born in 1838. My husband is a descendant of their oldest daughter, Fanny.

I don't have any information on this Mary Ann before she married John Hill but I have a lot on her descendants, and I have photographs of she and her husband.

I also have her as having children after you say she died so I am a bit confused! I will re read all the messages above and digest them.

I've just re read all the notes above and I'm really confused!

It seems that Mary Ann outlived John so how did he remarry?

Hi! I'm thrilled to meet a rele!! All of my stuff is mainly on Ancestry so if you are a member there, I'm happy to give you access!
John HILL my gt. grandfather was born Forfarshire Scotland 5 Oct 1822 - died Wellington New Zealand 8 Aug 1884.
Married (1) Mary Ann EASTMEAD at St.Pauls pro cathedral -1853, Wellington, New Zealand.
born Bristol Gloucestershire c1827. Died Sydney NSW Australia 8 Oct 1893.
Married (2) Elizabeth Jane TREVITHICK 1 Feb 1868 (on mar. cert = widower 1867) county of Bourke, Fitzroy, Melbourne.

I have both marriage certificates, Mary Ann's death cert. & have sighted his will.
I have found 11 children, all on R.G.O. records except Charles & George.Emma & Walter (1) died in 1864 within a few days of each other right on Christmas. Walter (2) 1866-1835 is my Grandad.

I hope this clarifies things a bit!
Will p.m. you my contact details!
Happy to share!
Marie

Hi

No,it doesn't clarify anything, lol!

Mary Ann died in 1893 but John remarried in 1868 as a widower?

How is this possible as Mary Ann outlived him and also appears to have had children by John after you say he married for a second time.

Yes there are problems & I'm not infallible - I may well have gone wrong somewhere. Have a good study of ancestry & I'll find your tree & we can compare notes from there. I'm a bit tied up next couple of days but will get back to it in next couple of days. It will be interesting to see where you are at too. He said he had been widowed - how well that was checked, who knows ?

Angus was historically a county, known officially as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1928. It remains a registration county and a lieutenancy area. In 1975 ....... Wikipedia.