Mary Ann Woodward 1853 - 1919

Mary Ann Woodward was my great great grandmother.  She was born on 25th June 1853 at St Lawrence in Ramsgate, Kent.  Her parents were Thomas Woodward (1808 - 1893) and Mary Ann Scott (1814 - 1892).

Mary was baptised at St Lawrence church on 7th August 1853.

1853 baptism of Mary Ann Woodward (courtesy of Find My Past)

The church of St Lawrence is shown in the image below.

St Lawrence church, St Lawrence, Ramsgate Kent (from Visit Kent website)

On the 1861 census Mary is living with her parents and three siblings.  The family live in St Lawrence Street in St Lawrence.  I cannot find a street with this name in St Lawrence now.  There's a St Lawrence Road and St Lawrence Chase.  The road may have changed its name.

1861 census Mary Woodward (courtesy of The National Archives and Ancestry)

As far as I have found so far Mary was the youngest of 8 children born to Thomas and Mary.  Her siblings were:

Thomas 1836 - 1914
Sarah 1837 - 1902
John 1839 - 1897
Daniel 1843 - 1907
George 1846 - 1904
James 1848 - 1910
Richard 1850 - 1874

On the 1871 census Mary is a servant living in the household of a Samfford Crout in Queens Downs Road, St John Hackney in London.  Samfford was a sadler from Devon.  I'll be honest I've no idea how Mary met her husband Alfred who was a fisherman in Ramsgate but spent some time in Grimsby!

1871 census Mary Ann Woodward (courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

However, meet they did and Mary and Alfred married on 26th January 1879 at the Ebenezer Congregational Chapel in Ramsgate.  At the time Alfred was living at Staffordshire Place in Ramsgate.  Mary was living in the High Street in St Lawrence.

By the time of the 1881 census Mary and Alfred had two boys of their own and were living in Claremont Gardens.

1881 census Mary and Alfred Bristow (courtesy of The National Archives and Ancestry)

Sadly Mary's husband, Alfred, died at sea on about 24th October 1882.  It left Mary to bring up three young boys.  Alfred John, Alfred's son by his first wife, Ann, who was 7 years old.  Walter, my great grandfather, who was 2 years old and 7 month old James.

Mary became a laundress and had her parents, Thomas and Mary, living with her on the 1891 census, along with 3 lodgers.  Life must have been difficult for her.

1891 census Mary Ann Woodward (courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

Mary never married again.  On the 1901 census Mary is living in the same house with her 2 sons (there is no sign of Alfred's first son - at some point he became a Barnado boy and emigrated to America).

1901 census Mary Ann Woodward (courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

The house is still standing in the High Street of St Lawrence and is now a Tandoori Restaurant.  The house is very close to St Lawrence church.

High Street, St Lawrence, Ramsgate (courtesy of Google Maps)

On the 1911 census Mary is still living in the High Street in St Lawrence but at a different number.  She is now referred to as a lodging house keeper and has 2 boarders living in the house with her.

1911 census Mary Ann Woodward (courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

The house Mary lived in was still near St Lawrence church.  It is the house with the blue door shown in the picture below.

High Street, St Lawrence, Ramsgate, Kent (courtesy of Google Maps)

Mary died on 2nd January 1919 at the house of her son, Walter, and his family.  Sadly she died of breast cancer at the age of 65.

1919 Death certificate of Mary Ann Bristow