The Will of Mary Ann Titheradge

Will of Mary Ann Titheradge

About 25 years ago I obtained a copy of a will belonging to Mary Ann Titheradge. I was expecting to be able to identify her and gain a great deal of family information from the will. Instead I was left with the will of an unknown person, who left her money to people I did not know. The will has sat in my “to sort” file for the past 25 years.

I recently came across the will and decided it was time to identify Mary Ann Titheradge.

The Will

This is a transcript of the will

This is the last Will and Testament of me Mary Ann Titheradge of Portsea in the County of Hants Widow. I Give and bequeath unto Louisa Elizabeth Jacob of Portsea aforesaid Spinster my Time Piece. I Give devise and bequeath all the rest residue and remainder of my real and personal estate whatsoever and wheresoever including all monies, which may be due to me at the time of my decease from the National Debt Office unto Mary Webber the wife of William Webber of Portsea aforesaid Grocer to and for her sole use and benefit. And I herby appoint the said Mary Webber and William Webber Executrix and Executor of this my will and hereby revoking all other wills by me heretofore made. I declare this to be my true last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand the twenty fourth day of May one thousand eight hundred and seventy six. 

Signed with a cross (her mark) next to her name and witnessed by HL Rawlins and William Medus.

So, who was Mary Ann? With the aid of records available on the Internet I have been able to solve my 25-year-old mystery.

Death, Burial and Probate Records

Probate Records, Death Records and Portsmouth Burial Records showed Mary Ann Titheradge was a widow who died on 16 May 1883 at 2 Portland Street, Portsea.  She was 80 years old, which means that she was born about 1803. She was buried at Kingston Cemetery on 19 May 1883, at Carters Plot in 17th Row 4th grave. The will was proved at Winchester by Mary Webber the only surviving executor, with the estate worth under £100.

Census Records

Census Records enabled me to follow Mary Ann across 30 years back to 1861. Each census confirmed her year of birth as 1803. The 1881 census showed her born in Portsmouth, but the 1871 and 1861 showed her born in Sheerness in Kent.
In 1881 Mary Ann, a widow, is at 2 Portland Street, a boarder with Mary Webber who was a 66 year old widow and a general dealer born in Portsmouth.
In the 1871 census Mary Ann is a widow, annuitant and visiting Daniel and Elizabeth Fraser.
In the 1861 census Mary Ann is living at 43 Kilminston Street, Portsea and living with her husband Christopher Titheradge. Christopher was 69, a superannuated shipwright, born in Portsea Hampshire.

The 1851 census showed no sign of Mary Ann Titheradge. A search of 1851 Portsea census found a Mary Ann Ray living at 31 Gloucester Street, Portsea aged 48, unmarried, a milliner and born in Sheerness, Kent. Mary Ann was visiting Nicolas Verren and his wife Diana. Research showed that Diana’s maiden name was Ray suggesting she could be Mary Ann’s sister or cousin.

Marriage to Christian Fabian Titheradge

The marriage records confirmed that Mary Ann Ray married Christopher Fabian Titheradge, who was a widower, at Portsea in the September quarter of 1852.

Christopher Fabian was born in Portsea in 1792 and first married Martha Elizabeth Sutton. They had 6 children and were married for nearly 40 years until Martha died in the March quarter of 1852. Christopher was 60 when he re-married and Mary Ann 48. They were married for 15 years, before Christopher died in 1867. Mary Ann went on to live for another 16 years until her death in 1883.

Who is Mary Webber and Louisa Elizabeth Jacob

So now I know who Mary Ann Titheradge was, but who were Mary Webber and Louisa Elizabeth Jacob to whom she left her watch and money?  Why did she leave her money to these ladies? My initial suggestion was they were sisters, cousins or nieces but I can find no evidence that they were related to Mary Ann.  Louisa was born in 1839 in Liverpool and Mary Webber (nee Meech) was born in Portsea in 1815.

Why didn’t Mary Ann leave her money to her step family? All but one of Christopher’s children were dead by the time the will was made but there were at least 10 grandchildren alive.

From my point of view, it certainly would have been easier to identify her if she had left her money to a Titheradge!

If you can tell me more about Mary Webber or Louisa Jacob please get in touch.

General view of Kingston Cemetery
where Mary Ann Titheradge is buried