William Parsons and Mary Ann Stone

Tyne Cot Cemetery. Photo: Mike Thurston Some rights reserved

William Parsons (b. 4 Jul 1882 in Bampton, Devon), son of John Parsons and Emma Burrows, married Mary Ann Stone (b. 1886 in Uffculme) daughter of Frederick James Stone and Loveday Jane Land, at St Peter’s Church, Uplowman, on 19 Apr 1906. Witnesses were the bride's father, Frederick James Stone and James Parsons, the groom's elder brother.

On 21 Oct 1899, William Parsons from Shillingford, Bampton, Devon, adding a year to his age and saying he was 18, had joined the Devonshire Regiment at Exeter. He was then 5ft 5⅝in, weighing 126 lbs, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He was, however, discharged on 30 Jun 1900. In 1901, William Parsons was Stockman at Mill Head, Bampton, but by the time of his marriage, he'd become a Railway Platelayer, residing in Landkey.

William and Mary Ann had two children: 

1. William James Parsons b. 1906 D Qtr in BARNSTAPLE Vol 05B 407
2. Olive Mary Parsons b. 1908 M Qtr in BARNSTAPLE Vol 05B 421

In 1911, William Parsons (28) Railway Platelayer, Mary Ann (24), William James (4) and Olive Mary (3) were living at 2 Abyssinia Terrace, Barnstaple.

Corporal William Parsons of 1st Bn., Devonshire Regiment, was killed in action during the Battle of Broodseinde on 4 Oct 1917, aged 35, and is buried at Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, located outside Passendale, near Zonnebeke in Belgium, Plot LXIII. D. 12. (The Battle of Broodseinde was part of the Third Battle of Ypres – a major Allied offensive in Flanders which became known as Passchendaele.) The Western Times of 9 Nov 1917 reported on his death: "Corpl Parsons, who in peace time was engaged on the G.W.R. at Bristol, leaves a widow and two children."

In 1919, Mary Ann Parsons married Sydenham Charles Brunt (b. 1871), son of John Brunt and Fanny Carpenter, in Keynsham, Somerset. Sydenham was a widower, having first married Hannah Elizabeth "Bessie" Carey, in 1891, with whom he had two children. Hannah Elizabeth Brunt died, at 45, in 1917.

In 1921, Sydenham C Brunt (49) Time Keeper working for G.W.R. at Bristol (he'd previously been a Railway Policeman), was living at 72, Repton Road, Brislington, Bristol, with Mary Ann Brunt (35), William J Parsons (14) Step-son, Messenger and Olive Mary Parsons (13) Step-Daughter.

Sydenham Charles Brunt died, at 58, in 1929 M Quarter in BRISTOL.

Mary Ann Brunt of 72, Repton Road, Brislington, died, at 44, on 15 Dec 1930 (1930 D Quarter in BRISTOL Volume 06A Page 117), leaving her effects to William James Parsons, Railway Porter and Olive Mary Parsons, Spinster.

John Bawden and Mary Ann Burn Trevail

Luxulyan Church
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Rod Allday - geograph.org.uk/p/2708738

John Bawden (bap. 3 Apr 1837 in Lanlivery), son of John Bawden and Elizabeth Giles, married Mary Ann Burn Trevail, daughter of Joseph Trevail and Jane Rundle, at Luxulyan Parish Church, on 7 Jan 1861. Mary Ann's sister, Ellen Trevail, was bridesmaid at the wedding. Witnesses were the bride's father, Joseph Trevail and James Higgs, who married Ellen Trevail the following year, who it may be imagined was likely best man.

Of the couple's 10 children, seven sons and two daughters survived: 

1. Nicholas Bawden b. 1862 M Qtr in BODMIN Vol 05C Page 94, bap. 6 Apr 1862 at Lanlivery, Cornwall (died, at 16 months, in New Zealand)
2. Mary Jane Bawden b. 1864 in New Zealand
3. John Bawden b. 1866 in New Zealand
4. Henry Bawden b. 1868 in New Zealand
5. Joseph Bawden b. 1869 in New Zealand
6. Alfred Bowden (sic) b. 1872 in New Zealand
7. Charles Bowden (sic) b. 1874 in New Zealand
8. Samuel Nicholas Bowden (sic) b. 1876 in New Zealand
9. Emma Bawden b. 1878 in New Zealand
10. William Bowden (sic) b. 1883 in New Zealand

In 1861, newlyweds John (24) and Mary Ann (19) were living in the household of John's parents, at Rosnea Mill, Lanlivery. 

John Bawden Snr died in 1862 and on 10 Dec 1862, John Bawden (25), Mary Ann and their infant son, Nicholas, embarked in London aboard the ship, the Huntress. They arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand on 21 Apr 1863, after what must have been a nightmare journey of 130+ days. Between the tactless and unpopular captain, quarrels and firearms being drawn, much discontent about the way victuals were cooked and a terrible cyclone just south of the equator, when passengers were locked up in their quarters (for their protection, but equally frightening), when, "The ship reared almost perpendicularly bows or stern up or down, also rolling sideways, and all ways, in a most alarming manner", this was certainly no pleasure cruise.

Travelling on the same voyage was Mary Ann's sister, Ellen (22), her husband James Higgs (24) and their infant daughter, Maria Jane. Each couple contributed £17 towards the £26 for the cost of the passage as assisted emigration. £17 in 1862 is worth £2,644 in 2023. A big investment.

On the voyage there were "15 deaths, all children with the exception of one young women aged 17 and a boy belonging to the ship". Nicholas Bawdin (sic), died, aged 16 months, in New Zealand, in 1863. Ellen's daughter, Maria Jane Higgs, also perished at 13 months. The deaths were registered in New Zealand, but they could have been part of those grim statistics.

At the end of their arduous journey, John Bawden undertook heavy manual work digging the Lyttelton Rail Tunnel - the first tunnel in the world to be taken through the side of an extinct volcano - completed 1867 and, in 1921, John was "one of the last survivors of that little band of tunnel workers."

Although the Trevails were farmers, not miners, reading how Cornish Miners were going to New Zealand for new lives and to work on this project when and because the tin mines closed in Cornwall - and one can imagine much local talk and newspaper coverage of that in Cornwall - probably explains where they will have got the idea to make the decision to emigrate.

Mary Ann Burn Trevail Bawden died on 5 Jan 1921, aged 79-80. Sadly, Mary Ann just missed her diamond wedding anniversary by two days, because the marriage certificate shows that they were married on 7th Jan (not 2nd as it says in the article). Mary Ann is buried at Lyttelton Anglican Cemetery. 

John Bawden died on 14 Aug 1929, aged 91, and is buried with his wife.

The obituary for John Bawden lists eldest daughter as Mrs M Lewis: Mary Jane Bowden (sic) married Isaac Lewis in 1894 and their younger daughter as Mrs E Ballard: Emma Bowden (sic) married Walter Charles Ballard in 1906.

The Lyttelton portal of the Lyttelton Rail Tunnel with construction workers in 1867
Very likely one of the men in this picture was John Bawden.