Person:Mary (30)

Mary Ann's origins and maiden name are unknown. As an adult she claimed to have been born around 1783 at Southampton.

As a young woman Mary had at least two children, being a son William Strickland, who claimed as an adult to have been born around 1806 in Winchester, and a daughter Mary Ann Strickland who also claimed to have been born in Winchester, but gave varying ages for herself which could suggest that she was born anywhere between 1805 and 1818. It is worth noting that there was a William Strickland Palmer son of Mary Palmer who was baptised at Winchester in 1806, followed by a Mary Ann daughter of Mary Palmer in 1807. Neither baptism names the father, but William's middle name may indicate that the father's surname was Strickland.

If this Mary Palmer and her two illegitimate children are the right family, is unknown whether Mary Palmer actually married Mr Strickland or merely presented herself later as being a widowed Mrs Strickland. The only Mary Palmer and Mr Strickland marriage found so far is for a William Strickland and Mary Ann Palmer who married by licence on 2nd June 1808 at Frome in Somerset, although both were said to be living in the parish of St Cuthbert in the city of Wells. Frome and Wells are both over fifty miles from Winchester. No evidence has been found to suggest that the couple who married in Frome stayed in Somerset after their marriage - no obvious burials, nor baptisms of any children to them have been found. Given the distance involved, further evidence would be needed to be certain whether this marriage is the right couple or not.

Mary Ann's first confirmed sighting is on 20th July 1835, when she married Robert Savage, a last maker from Winchester. They married at St Mary's Church in the Portsea area of Portsmouth. She was described as Mary Ann Strickland, widow, on their marriage record. Robert was a widower whose first wife had died earlier that year, and his youngest son was only five years old. The witnesses to Mary and Robert's marriage were Mary's daughter and Robert's nephew, William Savage. The following year, Mary's daughter and Robert's nephew married each other in the same church.

Mary and Robert returned to live in Winchester after their marriage. The 1841 census finds them living on Lower Brook Street there, along with Robert's youngest son.

Robert died in November 1847, aged 62. After his death, Mary went to live with her daughter Mary and son-in-law William Savage. The 1851 census finds them living at Friary Cottage on the south side of Winchester. William Savage had become something of a successful shopkeeper and would be a pioneer of photography in the city.

Mary died of cancer on 22nd June 1855 at Battery Place, a row of houses on the Romsey Road leading west out of Winchester. She was probably in her early seventies.

1. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 409; Book 6; Folio 16; Page 27, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Lower Brook Street, Winchester (St Maurice), Hampshire
   Robert Savage, male, 55 [1781-6], Last M[aker], born in county
   Mary Savage, female, 57 [1783/4], born in county
   Edwin Savage, male, 10 [1830/1], born in county

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1674; Folio 321; Page 26, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Friary Cottage, Southgate Road, Winchester (St Michael), Hampshire
   William Savage, head, married, male, 33 [1817/18], Dealer in Fancy Wares, b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Mary Ann Savage, wife, married, female, 35 [1815/16], b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Jessy Savage, daughter, female, 8 [1842/3], scholar, b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Blanche Savage, daughter, female, 4 [1846/7], b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Leila Savage, daughter, female, 3 [1847/8], b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Adah Savage, daughter, female, 7m [1850], b. Winchester, Hampshire
   Mary Ann Savage, mother in law, widow, female, 67 [1783/4], b. Southampton, Hampshire
   Maria Alder, servant, female, 19 [1831/2], b. Pitt, Hampshire
   Ann Jones, servant, female, 13 [1837/8], b. Winchester, Hampshire

3. ↑ Deaths register, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   Superintendent Registrar's District Winchester / Registrar's District Winchester
   1855 DEATHS in the District of Winchester in the County of Southampton
   No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   106	Twentysecond June 1855 Battery Place	Mary Ann Savage	female	73 years [1781/2]	Widow of Robert Savage, Last-maker	Cancer Certified	Mary Kersley Present at the death Battery Place, Winchester	Twenty third June 1855	Charles Mayo, Registrar