DONNELLY, Mary
Born c1871; died 18 November 1918; buried 20 November 1918; age 47
The death record for Mary tells us she was born in Wellington in 1870 with the surname DOCKARY, and that her mother’s maiden name was EVANS. It has not proved possible, however, to identify further information about her family of origin or her father’s occupation and when her parents might have arrived in New Zealand. As Mary’s mother identified herself as Mrs Evans of 27 Waterloo Avenue in the death notice announcing her daughter’s death in 1918, it is also possible that Evans was a subsequent name to Dockary or that she had reverted to using her maiden name when her relationship ended with Mary Ann’s father.
In any case, Mary married the slightly younger ironmonger, Albert William DONNELLY in New Zealand in 1913 [i]. She was 43, he was about 41. Albert, born 1872, was the child of Robert and Margaret Donnelly (née ALLAN) in Dunedin – their fourth and final child as well as their only son. Two older sisters, Isabella Allan born in 1868 and Eva Blanche born in 1870 had followed the still birth of an older sibling in 1866 and their parents’ marriage a year earlier. The Donnelly family moved to Wellington while the children were small and Robert supported his family working as a draper at various central city addresses after 1880 [ii].
By 1890 Albert was working as a clerk and living first in Edge Hill [iii], Te Aro, and then by 1900 in Marion Street, also in Te Aro. He became an ironmonger from 1905/05 and appeared on the electoral roll while living at 50 Thorndon Quay, moving to the Hotel Bristol in Ghuznee Street in 1911 and to or from 201 Grant Road in the same year.
It is unclear when Albert first started working for the well-known citizen, businessman, and Member of the Legislative Council, John Duthie, whose expanding hardware store operated from premises in Willis Street in the central city. But by 1915, Albert was helping to organise the annual employees’ picnic for around 200 employees, families, and friends held at ‘Balgownie’, the ‘Nai Nai’ residence (now known as Naenae) of the firm’s owner where rowing on the lake and participating in races of all types marked the occasion along with ‘toys, fruit and lollies…liberally distributed among the children throughout the day’ [iv].
By the start of WWI Mary and Albert had moved to Newtown, living first at 62 Rintoul Street in 1914 and then at 125 Constable Street where Albert registered on the New Zealand Army Reserve Rolls in 1916–17, Second Division. There were no children of the 5-year marriage.
Perhaps Mary had volunteered to work with flu victims or their families as her husband added to her headstone ‘Her duty nobly done’. It was from Constable Street that Mary was taken to the Sydney Street Temporary Hospital when she got sick with influenza. She died there on 18 November in her 48th year. She was described in the Evening Post death notice on 19 November 1918 as being the daughter of Mrs Evans of 27 Waterloo Avenue.
DONNELLY.—On the 18th November, 1918, Mary Ann Donnelly, dearly beloved wife of Mr. A. W Donnelly, 125, Constable-street, and daughter of, Mrs. Evans 27, Waterloo-avenue; aged 48 years Deeply regretted Private interment.
A W Donnelly settled the E Morris junior funeral bill of £11/18/6 by paying £11 promptly, in cash, on 18 December 1918. Mary’s plot costs in Public 2, plot 279 I at Karori Cemetery were met by Albert on 3 January 1919 while he was still working for J Duthie and Co.
Albert arranged for Mary’s headstone to read:
In loving memory of Mary, beloved wife of Albert W Donnelly, died 18 Nov 1918 in her 48th year. ‘Her duty nobly done.’
In 1921 Albert remarried, to Lucy Bertha BRENCHLEY. His health may have already been declining as he died on 19 October 1923 in his 52nd year.
Albert was buried in the grave of his first wife, Mary. The words ‘at rest’ have been simply added to the headstone along with Albert’s death details. His second wife Lucy married again in 1925, to Arthur Charles THOMPSON.
Albert’s parents also rest together in Karori Cemetery in the Public section, plot 40P: his father Robert died in 1902 at 63 and his mother, Margaret in 1913 at 80.
Born c1871; died 18 November 1918; buried 20 November 1918; age 47
The death record for Mary tells us she was born in Wellington in 1870 with the surname DOCKARY, and that her mother’s maiden name was EVANS. It has not proved possible, however, to identify further information about her family of origin or her father’s occupation and when her parents might have arrived in New Zealand. As Mary’s mother identified herself as Mrs Evans of 27 Waterloo Avenue in the death notice announcing her daughter’s death in 1918, it is also possible that Evans was a subsequent name to Dockary or that she had reverted to using her maiden name when her relationship ended with Mary Ann’s father.
In any case, Mary married the slightly younger ironmonger, Albert William DONNELLY in New Zealand in 1913 [i]. She was 43, he was about 41. Albert, born 1872, was the child of Robert and Margaret Donnelly (née ALLAN) in Dunedin – their fourth and final child as well as their only son. Two older sisters, Isabella Allan born in 1868 and Eva Blanche born in 1870 had followed the still birth of an older sibling in 1866 and their parents’ marriage a year earlier. The Donnelly family moved to Wellington while the children were small and Robert supported his family working as a draper at various central city addresses after 1880 [ii].
By 1890 Albert was working as a clerk and living first in Edge Hill [iii], Te Aro, and then by 1900 in Marion Street, also in Te Aro. He became an ironmonger from 1905/05 and appeared on the electoral roll while living at 50 Thorndon Quay, moving to the Hotel Bristol in Ghuznee Street in 1911 and to or from 201 Grant Road in the same year.
It is unclear when Albert first started working for the well-known citizen, businessman, and Member of the Legislative Council, John Duthie, whose expanding hardware store operated from premises in Willis Street in the central city. But by 1915, Albert was helping to organise the annual employees’ picnic for around 200 employees, families, and friends held at ‘Balgownie’, the ‘Nai Nai’ residence (now known as Naenae) of the firm’s owner where rowing on the lake and participating in races of all types marked the occasion along with ‘toys, fruit and lollies…liberally distributed among the children throughout the day’ [iv].
By the start of WWI Mary and Albert had moved to Newtown, living first at 62 Rintoul Street in 1914 and then at 125 Constable Street where Albert registered on the New Zealand Army Reserve Rolls in 1916–17, Second Division. There were no children of the 5-year marriage.
Perhaps Mary had volunteered to work with flu victims or their families as her husband added to her headstone ‘Her duty nobly done’. It was from Constable Street that Mary was taken to the Sydney Street Temporary Hospital when she got sick with influenza. She died there on 18 November in her 48th year. She was described in the Evening Post death notice on 19 November 1918 as being the daughter of Mrs Evans of 27 Waterloo Avenue.
DONNELLY.—On the 18th November, 1918, Mary Ann Donnelly, dearly beloved wife of Mr. A. W Donnelly, 125, Constable-street, and daughter of, Mrs. Evans 27, Waterloo-avenue; aged 48 years Deeply regretted Private interment.
A W Donnelly settled the E Morris junior funeral bill of £11/18/6 by paying £11 promptly, in cash, on 18 December 1918. Mary’s plot costs in Public 2, plot 279 I at Karori Cemetery were met by Albert on 3 January 1919 while he was still working for J Duthie and Co.
Albert arranged for Mary’s headstone to read:
In loving memory of Mary, beloved wife of Albert W Donnelly, died 18 Nov 1918 in her 48th year. ‘Her duty nobly done.’
In 1921 Albert remarried, to Lucy Bertha BRENCHLEY. His health may have already been declining as he died on 19 October 1923 in his 52nd year.
Albert was buried in the grave of his first wife, Mary. The words ‘at rest’ have been simply added to the headstone along with Albert’s death details. His second wife Lucy married again in 1925, to Arthur Charles THOMPSON.
Albert’s parents also rest together in Karori Cemetery in the Public section, plot 40P: his father Robert died in 1902 at 63 and his mother, Margaret in 1913 at 80.
Researched and written by Jenny Robertson
Grave Information:
Section: PUBLIC2
Plot: 279 I
Sources:
[i] The groom’s recorded name in BDM for the 1913 marriage to Mary Ann Dockary is Alfred William, but there are no births on BDM for a person of this name in New Zealand. ‘Alfred’ may have been a marriage registration or transcription error.
[ii] Starting in 1880/81, the electoral rolls show Robert Donnelly resided and perhaps conducted his business from Courtenay Place, moving to Cuba Street in 1890, Kent Terrace in 1896 and Marion Street in 1900 where Albert also resided at that time.
[iii] Edge Hill is a blind dog-leg street off Kent Terrace, Te Aro.
[iv] New Zealand Times 16 February 1915