Searching for Mary Ann and remembering her

They say that when we are gone we live on, as long as people still speak our names or tell our stories. I reckon my ancestors are all pretty lucky then, to have me searching for them, trying to discover all that I can; who they were, where they lived etc - and then sharing that with the rest of you.

So today, one year and one day since relocating to Victoria, we made a trip to Melbourne. I had done some inquiring you see, something I kept telling myself I had to do one day. So one day came !

I knew that my 2 x great grandmother was buried at Melbourne General Cemetery from her death certificate. But where ? Have you seen the SIZE of that cemetery ? And the records aren't online just yet. So I emailed and asked and got a reply very quickly.

From their information I also learnt that her "husband" was buried in the same plot as well as one of her daughters and an infant grandchild. I had been unable to find his death before, but now I had a date. 

Certificate purchased !

I know a bit more about him too now. He was from Cornwall and came to live in Geelong with his parents as a young child. What enticed him to go to New Zealand then ? Haven't solved that piece yet. But he returned to Australia in March 1876 after his father died and made him executor to his estate. Looks like that might have been when great great grandma Mary left her husband in Kaikoura and her ten eldest children and started a new life in Melbourne. (You might remember her from here)

Anyways, back to today. We went exploring in Albert Park/Middle Park/South Melbourne. What a lovely area. Today it still has quite a bustling village atmosphere.

We found the house where they lived

and walked the streets she will have walked

spotted the school where the children likely attended (emailing on Monday)

Then we caught the tram to the cemetery and armed with the information in my email reply and the map we went walking.

And found her resting place with a bit of divine intervention steering me in the right direction. Not so many magnificent headstones in the Wesleyan "compartment" that they are in, and none for them either. No wrought iron surround, just SCHNEIDER at the foot of the simple concrete border. The married name of her daughter Mary Ann (Mollie), the last of the four interred.

Still waiting for some of the descendants of those three children to get DNA tested, or share information. It has taken over 60 years to get this much of the puzzle solved, so what is a few more ? There is still time.

Mary Ann Barratt (married name Cooper; known as Nicholls) 1831-1903

Charles Nicholls 1837-1900

Mary Ann Cooper (known as Nicholls, married name Schneider) 1873 - 1932

Baby Schneider 1907-1907

©we remember you still©