Maria REID (MOORE/CAMPBELL)

Story

Maria REID was born in Newry, County Down, Ireland, about 1817. It is not certain when she came to Australia, but it is thought she arrived aboard the “Othello” at Hobart Town, Tasmania, on 18/2/1834, with her parents (see history of Matthew REID re further information on that voyage). On 17/3/1835, in Hobart Town she married James MOORE, who was also born in Newry. It is unknown whether they knew each other whilst living in Ireland. In all, Maria was to have 8 children to James;

1: Anna Maria MOORE b.29/9/1836, Hobart Town, and bpt 27/2/1839 at St.James, Sydney . She died at home on 3/8/1891, and buried at Porter’s Garden Cemetery, Kiama.

2: Matthew James MOORE b.5/9/1838 Hobart Town and d.9/9/1907 in Rockhampton.

3: Mary Jane MOORE b. May/1841 in Appin, and bpt 2/7/1841 Mary Jane died from heart failure/senility on 12/5/1927 at her home, 25 Railway Cres, Banksia. She was buried at C/E Cemetery, Woronora.

4: William George MOORE b.17/12/1843 at Appin, and bpt 14/5/1844. He d.1/8/1919 in Cowra.

5: Thomas Guy MOORE b.13/5/1846 at Appin, and bpt 30/8/1846 . Thomas Guy d.16/8/1891, and is buried at Riverstone Cemetery, and Harriet d.1/7/1942.

6: Rebecca Matilda MOORE b.12/5/1849, Gerringong, and bpt 5/9/1850. Rebecca is a mystery. This birth is found on the original Baptism Register, but not on the NSW BDM’s records. The parents are listed as James (schoolmaster) and Maria. On James’ 1856 Death Certificate “Rebecca Matilda 7” is listed as a child, which is consistent with the baptism record of 1849. She does not appear on Maria’s 1891 Death Certificate. There are no other references relating to Rebecca on any record.

7: Robert Ross MOORE b.18/3/1852 at Jamberoo, and bpt 3/6/1856 (Ref 867/155), A month short of his 92nd birthday, Robert died at Berry 11/2/1944.

8: Alice Elizabeth MOORE b.23/3/1854 bpt 3/6/1856. Alice was lived with her family on Grange Farm, Jamberoo, until she died at the young age of just over 3 years, on 19/8/1857.

(NB. Details of children’s spouses and families known but recorded due to lack of space)

When Maria REID’s husband, James MOORE, appeared to give up his masonary work and teaching at Appin by the late 1840’s, they lived and worked at Grange Farm (now called Range Farm). This was a 320 acre grazing property, and home site, owned by Thomas CAMPBELL Snr. It is situated on Minnamurra Falls Road, a few kilometres west of the village of Jamberoo. James MOORE died in 1856, and Maria became acquainted with Thomas CAMPBELL Jnr, who she married at Church of England, Jamberoo on 28/9/1858 . He too had been born in County Down, Ireland, about 1827, and arriving in Australia about 1841, following his father who was already here.

Tragedy was to strike Maria once again, when her new husband of six months, Thomas Jnr, d.11/4/1859 from consumption (tuberculosis?) which he had suffered for 2 months. He was buried at Jamberoo on 13/4/1859. At this stage there were no children of Maria’s second marriage, however, she was pregnant, and later gave birth to Laura Alice Jane CAMPBELL, who later married Henry Josiah WEST.

Now the widow CAMPBELL, Maria took over the running of Grange Farm. She was also involved in some matters at the local Kiama Court involving her neighbours. and were recorded in the local paper, the Kiama Examiner. These include disputes over straying stock, and being a witness to neighbour’s domestic assaults.

It is unknown how long Maria remained at Grange Farm, but she was living at the corner of Mary and Perry Streets, Leichhardt, with her daughter and son-in-law, Laura Alice and Henry Josiah WEST, at the time of her death on 18/7/1891. She died of heart failure. Henry WEST was the informant on the Death Certificate, and there were a number of errors, including her first husband’s name as Robert, not James and no mention of Maria’s two daughters, Rebecca Matilda MOORE and Alice Elizabeth MOORE.

Maria REID/MOORE/CAMPBELL was buried on 19/7/1891, in the Old Methodist Cemetery, Rookwood, Section 4C, plot 129. There is no headstone.

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