Mary was born around 1814 in Ivybridge, Devon, to Robert Riggs (about 35), a labourer, and Irish-born Mary Anne Riggs (nee Gibson) (about 29).
Mary was baptised on 8th October 1814 in Harford (a hamlet two miles north of the town of Ivybridge).
Mary was the fourth of eight children (five sons and three daughters):
- John Robert 1805 -
- Anne 1807 -
- Robert 1810 -
- Mary 1814 -
- Thomas 1817 -
- James 1820 -
- Jane 1822 -
- Charles 1825 -
All eight children seem to have survived into adulthood. The five eldest siblings were baptised in Harford. Sometime between 1817 and 1820, the Riggs family must have made the approximately forty mile move north-east from the Ivybridge/Harford area to Farringdon, for there the three younger siblings were baptised in the early 1820's. In making this move, the family moved back nearer to Mary's father Robert's hometown - Robert was born in Ottery St Mary, which is only about seven miles north-east of Farringdon.
In 1834, when Mary was about nineteen, she give birth to an illegitimate son, John. John was baptised on 2nd March 1834 in Farringdon.
As shown on the 1841 Census: as a young woman, Mary lived with and worked as a servant for the Thomas family - farmer Samuel Thomas, his wife Alice, and their seven children - at Upham (likely Upham Farm) in Farringdon. Whilst Mary worked away, her young son John lived with her parents (his maternal grandparents), her brother Thomas (his Uncle Thomas) and Thomas' wife and baby daughter, all together in Perkings Village, Farringdon.
1841 Census:
In early 1842, when Mary was about twenty-seven, her mother Mary Anne passed away, aged about fifty-seven. Mary Anne was buried on 17th March 1842 in Farringdon.
Mary Anne may have lived just long enough to see her daughter Mary marry. On 17th February 1842, Mary (about 27), a servant, married William Ireland (about 39), a labourer, in Farringdon. On their record of marriage, Mary and William each left only their mark, implying neither could write. Mary's son John is listed with his step-father's surname of Ireland on the 1851 Census; however, when he married as a young man in 1856, he was once more using his mother's maiden name of Riggs. When Mary and William married, Mary was about three months pregnant with their first child, daughter Mary Ann. If wonder if Mary named her daughter for her late mother.
Mary and William had three children (one daughter and two sons):
- Mary Ann 1842 -
- William Henry 1844 -
- Samuel 1848 -
Sometime between 1844 and 1848, Mary and her young family moved from Farringdon about six miles west to Heavitree, near Exeter - there, their youngest child Samuel was baptised in 1848 and Mary and the children can be found in the 1851 Census.
1851 Census:
Mary is listed as the head of the family in the 1851 Census, working and looking after her four children. Where was her husband William? Mary is not listed as a widow, implying William was still alive at that point. Unfortunately William seemed to disappear from record,, particularly censuses, after the baptisms of his three children in the 1840's; however research revealed why...
In February 1850, William, a labouring man in his forties with a wife and four children to support, stole one sheep, and had the misfortune of being caught. For his crime, he was sentenced to seven years transportation to Tasmania, Australia! (otherwise known as Van Diemen's Land)
From the North Devon Journal of 21st February 1850:
After this incident, I wonder if Mary even saw her husband again. He was tried at Exeter Castle on 26th February 1850; two and a half years later, on 4th November 1852, he boarded the Oriental Queen in Plymouth for Australia; and three months later, on 19th February 1853, he arrived in Tasmania.
William's Tasmanian Convict Record paints a picture of Mary's husband. A physical description of the forty-nine year old is given: he was 5'5 1/2''; with a sallow complexion, dark brown hair and eyebrows, and grey eyes; had a large oval head, a large nose and mouth, and a medium-sized forehead and chin. He also had a scar near his right eye. Did their children share his colouring, his features?
He was also described as being Church of England and, touchingly, that he could read a little. For his prison report, he received the mark of exemplary. William's good behaviour must have continued for he applied for and received a ticket of leave on 8th November 1853; and on 17th July 1855, he applied for and received a conditional pardon. Unfortunately I cannot find out anything about William after 1855. We leave him in Australia, an old Devonshire lad, a conditional pardon in his pocket.
10,000 miles away, Mary remained in Devon and struggled to support herself and her four children. She found work as a washerwoman for laundress Mary Saunders of Clifton Street, Exeter. In June 1854, Mary was first charged by Mrs Saunders with embezzlement, but as the evidence was deemed insufficient the case was dismissed.
From the Western Times of 17th June 1854:
She was then charged with stealing a flannel petticoat. Mary was assigned to return the washed petticoat from Saunders' home-business to its owner Mary Elliot, a servant of Miss Ball, Dix's Field. Instead Mary pawned the petticoat at the shop of Mr Bannister, pawnbroker, Milk Street. The prosecutor called for mercy due to her sad circumstances, as a single mother of four, her husband having been transported, yet for stealing the petticoat, Mary was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment, with hard labourer.
From the Western Times of 1st July 1854:
Mary was additionally changed with obtaining 4s 6d by false pretences from Rebecca Mudge. Mary pleaded guilty and was sentences to another six weeks imprisonment, with hard labour, to begin at the end of the previous term (so in all twelve weeks, nearly three months, imprisonment with hard labourer).
From the Exeter Flying Post of 29th June 1854:
With Mary imprisoned for three months, who looked after her children? Her eldest son John would have been around twenty. Did he look after his three younger half-siblings, Mary Ann (about twelve), William (about ten) and Samuel (about six)?
In 1858, when Mary was about forty-four, her father William passed away, aged about eighty. He was buried on 21st November 1858 in Farringdon.
Mary's sons, William and Samuel, later both moved to Wales, where they married and had children of their own; whilst Mary's daughter, Mary Ann, lived in Exeter, Devon, with her husband and children. Mary would live with her daughter and her family. Mary and Mary Ann supported the family by working as laundresses.
1871 Census:
1881 Census:
In late 1882, Mary passed away, aged about sixty-eight, in Exeter. She was buried on Christmas Eve 1882 in St Leonard, Exeter.
At some point, Mary may have set up her own laundry business. Mary and her daughter Mary Ann were listed as laundresses on the 1871 and 1881 Censuses. After Mary's death, her daughter Mary Ann continued to work as a laundress, supported by her own grown-up daughters (Mary's granddaughters) Polly and Kate, who worked as laundry maids and laundry assistants (as shown on the 1891 and 1901 Censuses). After Mary Ann's death, her children continued the business: in the 1911 Census, her son (Mary's grandson) William is listed as a laundry man and employer, his wife a laundress, running a launderette at their home; sisters Polly and Kate living a few houses down, and still working as laundresses for the family business.
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