This is my first listing on this list. I am not as experienced as most of you, and I hope I am understanding the rules. Mary Ann HUNT was my father's maternal grandmother, she died in NSW Australia in 1930, a widow, her husband was John Ellington SMITH. I am in Sydney NSW and together with several cousins we know something of her life before she arrived in NSW as an adult. Her death registration notes her parents were HARTLEY HUNT and MARY DICKENS. Mary Ann HUNT's children were given the following first names: Laura, Nellie, Reuben Hartley, Rebecca, Annie, Rachel, Mary Jane, Thomas Hartley, and perhaps there are clues in those names, for their NSW birth certificates indicate Mary Ann's age when these children were born. Hence, it is most likely that Mary Ann was born in 1853 Q2. Consistently throughout all those birth certificates and her death registration is the fact that she was born in LANCASHIRE, and several documents indicate MANCHESTER. From those birth certificates for Mary Ann's children we also know that Mary Ann migrated firstly to WELINGTON, NEW ZEALAND. And from oral history from one cousin we know about the name of a ship and from another cousin we know that she was on a ship that brought the first steam locomotives to Wellington. So, we have found online newspaper cuttings to support her arrival on THE DOUGLAS at Wellington NZ in Sept 1873, and we have then found NZ archive records to show that migration as a government assistance of 14 pounds (the fare), her name (Mary A Hunt) her age (20), her status (single), her occupation (servant) and her county origins COUNTY LANCASHIRE. We also have her own "treasures" passed to one of her children and now held by a retired C of E rector, who is her great grandson. These include a photo taken at the studios of AUG DOHERTY of 53 STRETFORD ROAD (which we presume is in Manchester, perhaps SALFORD, but remember we are half a world away). The photo is of three ladies, and would appear to be THREE GENERATIONS, with Mary Ann the youngest of these, and handwriting on the back supports this. Also on the back is the following address: Top Row, NORTHWICH CHESHIRE. Online searching has found 1851 and 1861 Census records for several HUNT families, in Salford and in OLDHAM and two entries are of interest, with links to both Manchester and to Northwich. We are seeking advice as to where to proceed to now, and all suggestions will be followed up, as between us cousins we can share the online searching and the like. CHEERS TO YOU ALL FROM THE LAND DOWN UNDER, hope to hear from you soon, and if any of you are descendants on any branch of Mary Ann Hunt's forebears, we have lots to share with you.

Hello Lis, welcome to our list. Stretford road is in south Manchester, It ran to the west through the suburbs named Chorlton on Medlock and Hulme on into Stretford. This main road changes it name several times, but will eventually bring you into Cheshire and on into Northwich and beyond. Based on the road number its possible the photographer was in the Hulme portion of Stretford road. Number one would be starting at Cambridge street. Northwich, Cheshire has its own Rootsweb list. A number of people including myself are researching the HUNT name in that town. But my line so far are back in the 1700's. I dont have records for them in the 1800's. Kind regards Mike Morris Toronto Canada ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lis" <tislis@bigpond.net.au> To: <ENG-MANCHESTER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 12:15 AM > > Mary Ann HUNT was my father's maternal grandmother, she died in NSW > Australia in 1930, a widow, her husband was John Ellington SMITH. I am in > Sydney NSW and together with several cousins we know something of her life > before she arrived in NSW as an adult. Her death registration notes her > parents were HARTLEY HUNT and MARY DICKENS. Mary Ann HUNT's children were > given the following first names: Laura, Nellie, Reuben Hartley, Rebecca, > Annie, Rachel, Mary Jane, Thomas Hartley, and perhaps there are clues in > those names, for their NSW birth certificates indicate Mary Ann's age when > these children were born. Hence, it is most likely that Mary Ann was born > in 1853 Q2. Consistently throughout all those birth certificates and her > death registration is the fact that she was born in LANCASHIRE, and > several > documents indicate MANCHESTER. From those birth certificates for Mary > Ann's > children we also know that Mary Ann migrated firstly to WELINGTON, NEW > ZEALAND. And from oral history from one cousin we know about the name of > a > ship and from another cousin we know that she was on a ship that brought > the > first steam locomotives to Wellington. So, we have found online newspaper > cuttings to support her arrival on THE DOUGLAS at Wellington NZ in Sept > 1873, and we have then found NZ archive records to show that migration as > a > government assistance of 14 pounds (the fare), her name (Mary A Hunt) her > age (20), her status (single), her occupation (servant) and her county > origins COUNTY LANCASHIRE. > > We also have her own "treasures" passed to one of her children and now > held > by a retired C of E rector, who is her great grandson. These include a > photo taken at the studios of AUG DOHERTY of 53 STRETFORD ROAD (which we > presume is in Manchester, perhaps SALFORD, but remember we are half a > world > away). The photo is of three ladies, and would appear to be THREE > GENERATIONS, with Mary Ann the youngest of these, and handwriting on the > back supports this. Also on the back is the following address: Top Row, > NORTHWICH CHESHIRE. Online searching has found 1851 and 1861 Census > records > for several HUNT families, in Salford and in OLDHAM and two entries are of > interest, with links to both Manchester and to Northwich. <snip>