Priscilla Williams

1841 - 1933  (91 years)

• Name	Priscilla Williams
  Born	7 Nov 1841	Oddington, Gloucestershire, England
  	Birth certificate: 1841 Registration District Stow on the Wold, Sub-district of Stow on the Wold, in the Counties of Gloucester and Worcester - 7 Nov 1841 at Oddington, Priscilla, girl, father James Williams, labourer, mother Mary Williams formerly Keen, informant X the mark of Mary Williams, mother, Oddington, registered 1 Dec 1841. Date and month of birth from the birthday book kept by Priscilla Lynn is recorded as 30 September, a date she shares with her father-in-law, James Lynn. Priscilla would not have possessed a birth certificate and so clearly thought her birthday was 30 September rather than 7 November as recorded on her birth certificate.
  Christened	30 Jan 1842	Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire, England
  	A puzzling entry, but perhaps the baptism of Priscilla - odd given Priscilla was a middle child in the family: Stow on the Wold baptisms: 1842 Jan 30th, Priscilla, illegitimate daughter of Mary Williams, residence Stow workhouse. [TO BE CHECKED!]
  Gender	Female
  Census:	30 Mar 1851	Upper Oddington, Gloucestershire
  	James Williams, Head, Married, Male, age 43, Rail Labourer, born Oddington, Gloucestershire; Mary Williams, Wife, Married, Female, age 43, born [UNREADABLE], Oxfordshire; Hannah Williams, Daughter, Unmarried, Female, age 18, born Oddington, Gloucestershire; Samuel Williams Son, Male, age 16, [possibly Rail labourer also?], born Oddington, Gloucestershire; Joseph Williams, Son, Male, age 13, [possibly Rail labourer also?], born Oddington, Gloucestershire; Priscilla Williams, Daughter, Female, age 9, born Oddington, Gloucestershire; Mark Williams, Son, Male, age 7, born Oddington, Gloucestershire.
  Census:	7 Apr 1861	21 Burnham Street, Canning Town, West Ham, London
  	[multi-occupancy] James Williams, head, married, age 53, Excavator, born Brighton, Sussex [WRONG] Mary Williams, wife, married, age 53, born Brighton, Sussex [WRONG] Samuel Williams, son, unmarried, age 27, Excavator, born Oddington, Gloucestershire Priscilla Williams, unmarried, age 19, born Oddington, Gloucestershire Mark Williams, son, unmarried, age 18, born Oddington, Gloucestershire [NOTE also a 28 yr old lodger with the family named William Holland, a ship builder's labourer. The Royal Victoria Dock was nearby]
  Event:	22 Apr 1862	Faringdon Poor Law Union meeting minutes
  	Board meeting held on 22 April 1862 includes.. The Clerk laid before the Board Mr Maskelyne's account for Midwifery attendance on Priscilla Williams, Little Faringdon, 10s 6d.
  Legal:	10 Jul 1862	County of Oxford - Reporting of all persons committed or bailed to appear for trial or indicted at the Trinity Quarter Sessions held at Oxford on 30 Jun 1862
  	No. 27 Priscilla Williams, Abandoning and exposing her child Convicted and sentenced: [nothing in column] Acquitted & discharged: Bill ignored. [A bill of indictment, enumerating the allegations made against the defendant, would have been prepared by the District Attorney based upon the information. At Quarter Sessions Court, a jury of no fewer than twelve men (a “grand jury”) then heard the evidence at the Quarter Sessions, including the sworn testimony of witnesses, and determined whether Priscilla should be indicted, i.e., charged with a criminal act. The words “bill ignored” signify that the charges against Priscilla were dismissed.] [to complete] Sellars of Little Faringdon, gamekeeper, and George Lewis of Little Faringdon, labourer [Priscilla’s brother-in-law], were each bound in £20 that Priscilla should appear at the next Quarter Sessions in Oxford on 1st July 1862 to answer the indictment preferred against her by William Lamb of Burford, Inspector of Police, on suspicion of unlawfully abandoning & exposing on 30th March 1862 at the Parish of Langford [i.e. Little Faringdon] her child it then being under the age of two years whereby the life of the said child became endangered 10 May 1862 at Burford before D. Ward Goddard J.P. (2) Thomas Sellars [as above] and George Lewis [as above], for and on behalf of Elizabeth Lewis [Priscilla’s sister] his wife, and Alfred Powell of Lechlade, Glos, surgeon, were each bound in £10 to appear at Quarter Sessions [as above]. 10 May 1862 at Burford before the Rev. Daniel Ward Goddard J.P.: Depositions [Witness statements]: (1) The Examination of Thomas Sellars of Little Faringdon ... Gamekeeper: I am Gamekeeper to Lord De Mauley at Little Faringdon - On Sunday the 30th of March last I saw the accused Priscilla Williams walking by the side of a Cover [small wood] in Little Faringdon alone and where there was no footpath - I halloed "Hey" to her and she came towards me and down to me, at once, in the Turnpike Road. " I said young woman, we have been looking after you for some time, and being a stranger, I suppose you got out of your road - You appear to be ill" and she said "Yes Sir I have been laying down in that Copse" pointing towards where I had seen her. I [said?] it is a wet morning and you had better get home and get something warm." She thanked [?] me and walked away with her Brother in law George Lewis. He and I had ...[gone?] after her in consequence of something I had heard. John Hulbert and I went to the Cover and after searching, I heard the Cries of a Child. I saw a Child lying in the Ditch and John Hulbert lifted it out by my direction - the ditch was about a hundred yards from where I saw the young Woman. The Child was perfectly naked and had the appearance in my belief of having been just born - we wrapped it up in two pocket handkerchiefs and took it to Priscilla Williams at her lodgings at her Sisters at Little Faringdon …[?] who lives about half a furlong from the Ditch. Priscilla Williams was then sitting in a chair… … [?] room I took the Child and gave it to her Sister Mrs Lewis, who also was in the same room. "I should take care of this Child and put some warm clothes on it for I have just taken it out of the water ditch. Take care of the Child and I will fetch the Doctor to you" and I did. Nothing was said by either Priscilla Williams or her Sister about the Child but this, the latter said "Shut the door" and I did so. After I had fetched the Doctor I saw some red marks on the ground in the Copse a very short distance from the Ditch apparently of blood under a Fir tree and the grass around had been trodden down. [signed] Thomas Sellars. [Note: from the 1861 census we know that Thomas Sellars, Gamekeeper, was in his fifties, and that John Hulbert, in his twenties, was his 'son-in-law' i.e. stepson, living with the Sellars.] (2) Elizabeth Lewis, Wife of George Lewis of Little Faringdon, labourer, on her oath saith: The accused is my Sister and a single woman between 21 & 22 years of age - she slept at our house the night before the Sunday the 30th of March - I missed her about 5 [?] o’clock that Morning and she returned alone between 11 & 12 that Morning. I was not aware that she was in the family way as I had been myself confined and was unwell - nor do I know whether she had prepared any baby linen - My husband went in search of her - I had the Baby from the last Witness- My Sister is now nursing it in this County. When she returned home she looked very ill - I believe the Baby handed by the last Witness is the Child of which my Sister was delivered that day. After the Keepers left and before the Doctor came, she told me that she had intended going to her Uncles [Williams] near Stow-on-the-Wold [at Oddington] and having left the house with that purpose and feeling herself unwell, she stopped in the Plantation and was confined there - the Plantation is on the Road to Stow. [signed] X the mark of Elizabeth Lewis. (3) Alfred Powell of Lechlade in the County of Gloster, Surgeon, on his oath saith: I attended the accused on Sunday 30th of March by desire of Thomas Sellars - She was in health[?] and I found that she had been recently delivered of a Child which appeared to be born at maturity - No Medical or other assistance having in my opinion been rendered to her in her delivery. She told me that she had left the house in the Morning for her relatives at Oddington near Stow, as she did not like her Sister to know her situation, but feeling unwell she got out of the road into the Copse - She told me that in reply to my question what she meant to do when she was delivered that she intended to go home and inform them of what had taken place. [signed] Alfred Powell (4) Priscilla Williams's reply in answer to the charge: I don’t wish to say anything. Presentment: The jurors presented that on 30 March 1862 Priscilla Williams did unlawfully abandon and expose a child then recently born, &c., and did unlawfully abandon and expose a certain other child, &c. Misdemeanour: Ignored [Oxfordshire History Centre]
  Census:	2 Apr 1871	Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire (then in Berkshire)
  	Thomas Lynn, head, married, aged [33?], agricultural labourer, born Little Faringdon, Berkshire Priscilla Lynn, wife, married, age 30, born Oddington, Gloucestershire Jane Lynn, daughter, age 9, scholar, born Little Faringdon, Berkshire Harriett Lynn, daughter, age 7, scholar, born Little Faringdon, Berkshire Joseph Lynn, son, age 5, scholar, born Little Faringdon, Berkshire George Lynn, son, age 2, born Little Faringdon, Berkshire Elizabeth Lynn, daughter, age 7 mths, born Little Faringdon, Berkshire James Lynn, father, widower, age 60, agricultural labourer, born Little Faringdon, Berkshire
  Census:	2 Apr 1871	Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire
  	Thomas Lynn, head, married, aged [33?], agricultural labourer, born Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire Priscilla Lynn, wife, married, age 30, born Oddington, Gloucestershire Jane Lynn, daughter, age 9, scholar, born Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire Harriett Lynn, daughter, age 7, scholar, born Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire Joseph Lynn, daughter, age 5, scholar, born Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire George Lynn, daughter, age 2, born Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire Elizabeth Lynn, daughter, age 7 mths, born Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire James, Lynn, father, widower, age 60, agricultural labourer, born Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire
  Education:	Could not write as always signed X her mark.
  Emigrated:	from Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire, England to Dunedin, New Zealand on the Scimitar, arriving at Port Chalmers, Otago on 5 March 1874
  Emigrated:	Dec 1873	Passenger list of the Scimitar - Assisted emigration to Otago
  	Families and children - 4 1/2 adults: Lynn, Thomas, age 36, Berkshire, Laborer Lynn, Priscilla, age 33 Lynn, Jane, age 11 Lynn, Harriet, age 9 Lynn, Joseph, age 8 Lynn, George, age 5 Lynn, Edith, age 1 Total cost of passage money to the Government: £65 5s. Advanced to Thomas Lynn £2. Large parties of emigrants on the Scimitar and the Mongol were recruited by Christopher Holloway, delegate to the National Agricultural Labourers Union. The story of the gathering of this party, including the Lynns, and the voyages of the two ships is told in The Farthest Promised Land by Prof Rollo Arnold, Chapter 3.
  Religion:	1 Aug 1890	Primitive Methodist soiree at Andersons Bay
  	Evening Star 2 Aug 1890: ENTERTAINMENTS. Last evening the Primitive Methodists of Anderson Bay celebrated their first anniversary by a social soiree, which was held in the house of Mr Newell. About forty sat down to tea. The tables were provided by Mesdames LYNN, Dutton, South, Newell, and Harland. The chair was occupied by the Rev. J, Sharp, and addresses were given by Rev. J. Guy, Messrs Lowden and Martin, and Mis Dutton, interspersed with musical selections, including a solo by Miss South.
  Event:	1893	Signatory to the NZ Womens' Suffrage Petition (which led to NZ being the first country to give women the vote)
  	Priscilla Lynn and daughters Jenny Lynn and Harriet Lynn sign the main suffrage petition submitted to Parliament in 1893.
  Residence:	1914 - 1919	44 Musselburgh Rise, Andersons Bay, Dunedin (with her daughter Jennie Grant)
  	Chalmers Electoral Roll 1914 and Dunedin Central Electoral Roll 1919: LYNN, Priscilla, 44 Musselburgh Rise, Anderson's Bay, widow
  Event:	c 1932	Remembered as a lovely great grandmother by her great grandchildren Margaret and Maurice Grant who used to visit her on Sunday afternoons in the early 1930s when Priscilla lived with her sons at Dunira on the Taieri near Dunedin. Margaret and Maurice would be taken to her upstairs bedroom with a dormer window to see her and she would always give them acid drop sweets – her favourite.
  Died	25 Feb 1933	'Dunira', North Taieri, Otago, New Zealand
  	Death certificate: 25 Feb 1933 at North Taieri, Priscilla Lynn, widow, age 93 [sic], cause of death heart failure due to myocardial degeneration aggravated by chronic bronchitis and senile changes (period not known, Dr J Patrick Shaw, last saw deceased on or about 20 December 1932, father James Williams (occupation unknown), mother Mary Williams formerly Keen, buried 27 February 1933 East Taieri Cemetery (Rev Hugh Graham, Presbyterian), born Gloucester [sic - Gloucestershire] England, 57 years in NZ, married at Gloucester [sic - Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire] England, age 22 years, to Thomas Lynn, age and sex of living issue: males 66, 60, 56, 54, 53, 51, 49, female 44.
  Buried	27 Feb 1933	East Taieri Cemetery, Otago, New Zealand
  	East Taieri Cemetery burials: Priscilla Lynn buried 27 Feb 1933 age 93 yrs. Note: gravesite bare.
  Person ID	I24	Grant
  Last Modified	23 Dec 2021

  
  

  Father	James Williams, Excavator (Tube train tunnels?) in London,   b. Jul 1807, Oddington, Gloucestershire, England
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Mary Keen,   b. c 1807
  Relationship	Birth
  Family ID	F13	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	unknown
  Children	+ 1. Jane (Jennie) Lynn (Williams), Caterer in Dunedin,   b. 30 Mar 1862, Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire, England ,   d. 24 Nov 1929, 26 Dundonald Street, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 67 years)  [Birth]
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2018
  Family ID	F12	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Thomas (Tom) Lynn, Dairy farmer and Market gardener at Andersons Bay, Dunedin, Social activist,   b. 18 Jun 1837, Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire, England ,   d. 28 Aug 1909, Musselburgh Rise, Andersons Bay, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 72 years)
  Married	14 Mar 1863	Parish church, Langford, Oxfordshire, England
  	Marriage Banns: Langford, Oxfordshire Banns of marriage between Thomas Lynn, bachelor and Priscilla Williams, spinster, both of Little Faringdon in this parish, First time 22 February 1863, Second time 1 March 1863, Third time 8 March 1863, Married March 14 1863. 1863 Marriage solemnized at the parish church in the parish of Langford in the county of Berks on 14 March 1863 Thomas Lynn, full age, bachelor, labourer, residence Little Faringdon, father James Lynn labourer Priscilla Williams, full age, spinster, residence Little Faringdon, father James Williams labourer Signed Thomas Lynn, Priscilla Williams X her mark Witnesses Joseph Lynn [elder brother of Tom], Ann Lewis [niece of Priscilla?] Tom and Priscilla stated their marriage date as 14 March 1861 (rather than 1863) to conceal the illegitimacy of Priscilla's daughter Jane born in 1862.
  Children	1. Harriet Lynn,   b. 3 Jan 1864, Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire, England ,   d. 21 Jul 1927, 24 Lochend Street, Tainui, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 63 years)  [Birth] + 2. Joseph (Joe) Lynn, Moulder in Dunedin,   b. 5 Nov 1865, Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire, England ,   d. 25 May 1947, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 81 years)  [Birth] + 3. George Lynn, Painter & decorator in Dunedin,   b. 13 May 1868, Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire, England ,   d. 23 May 1955, Silversteam Hospital, Upper Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand  (Age 87 years)  [Birth]   4. Elizabeth (Bessy) Lynn, died a child after eating deadly nightshade,   b. 20 Aug 1870, Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire, England ,   d. 18 Sep 1873, Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire, England  (Age 3 years)  [Birth]   5. Edith Mary Lynn, died an infant on the voyage to NZ,   b. 8 Dec 1872, Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire, England ,   d. 2 Feb 1874, at sea on the "Scimitar" on way to New Zealand  (Age 1 years)  [Birth]   6. Thomas (Tom) Lynn, Farmer at Sawyers Bay, Dunedin,   b. 4 Mar 1875, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand ,   d. 24 Mar 1958, 33 Carlyle Street, North East Valley, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 83 years)  [Birth]   7. Frederick David (Freddie) Lynn, Farmer at Sawyers Bay,   b. 26 Dec 1877, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand ,   d. 24 Aug 1964, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 86 years)  [Birth] + 8. Ernest James (Ernie) Lynn, Racehorse trainer in Hobart, Tasmania,   b. 4 Sep 1879, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand ,   d. 6 Sep 1947, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia  (Age 68 years)  [Birth] + 9. William Allen (Bill) Lynn, Boer War and Gallipoli veteran, MSM,   b. 20 Feb 1881, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand ,   d. 6 Jan 1963, 1 Glenross Street, Kaikorai, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 81 years)  [Birth]   10. Francis Edward (Frank) Lynn, Farmer at Sawyers Bay, Dunedin,   b. 31 Jul 1882, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand ,   d. 31 Jan 1956, Reservoir Road, Sawyers Bay, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 73 years)  [Birth] + 11. Elizabeth Edith (Bessie) Lynn, of Dunedin,   b. 3 Feb 1887, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand ,   d. 9 Sep 1977, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand  (Age 90 years)  [Birth]
  Last Modified	17 Nov 2020
  Family ID	F265	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Priscilla Lynn nee Williams Taken at Little Faringdon, Oxfordshire
  		Priscilla Lynn with daughters Jane (b 1862), Harriet (born 1864) and Joseph (baby, born 1865) and Priscilla's sister Elizabeth Lewis nee Williams. Photo taken at Little Faringdon in 1865.
  		Lynn home at Little Faringdon. Alan Kennelly told me that this old photo retained by his mother Bessie Lynn was the house the wider Lynn family had lived in (prior to emigration of Thomas Lynn and family to New Zealand in 1873). Unknown as yet, but it may be Common Farm house in Little Faringdon.
  		Lynn farm, Musselburgh Rise, Dunedin - showing cottage. View is looking out towards St Kilda beach. Cavell Street was formed to the left of the cottage.
  		Priscilla Lynn
  		Priscilla Lynn - close up from photo with daughter Bessie Kennelly and Kennelly grandsons
  		4 generations - Priscilla Lynn with daughter Jennie Grant, grandson Bill Grant and great grand-daughter Margaret Grant - taken in 1925
  		Dunira farm house, North Taieri (Lynn Bros farm), where Priscilla Lynn lived, occupying an upstairs bedroom.
  		Dunira farm house - side view, North Taieri (Lynn Bros farm), where Priscilla Lynn lived with and occupied an upstairs bedroom.
  		Priscilla Lynn at the door of the conservatory at Dunira, North Taieri (her sons' farm), where she died in 1933.
  		LYNN farm at Musselburgh Rise, looking from Musselburgh Rise towards Lochend Street. One of the Lynn boys in photo.
  		Looking over towards Musselburgh Rise, Dunedin. Lynn farm and cottage visible (corner with what is now Cavell Street) and also Tom Lynn's market gardens on city side of Musselburgh Rise, on land leased from Cuttens at Belmont.
  		Close-up - Looking over towards Musselburgh Rise, Dunedin. Lynn farm and cottage visible (corner with what is now Cavell Street) and also Tom Lynn's market gardens on city side of Musselburgh Rise, on land leased from Cuttens at Belmont.
  		Lynn family group photo Musselburgh Rise Dunedin 1907 - see description for names Back row l to r: Frank Lynn, Sissy Lynn (George's wife), William Grant (Jennie's husband), Belle Lynn (Joe's wife), Jack Kennelly (Bessie's husband). Second row standing: George Lynn, Jennie Grant (nee Lynn), Joe Lynn, Tom Lynn Jr. Third row sitting: Harriet Lynn, Priscilla Lynn, Bill Lynn (boy standing in between Priscilla and Tom, son of George), Tom Lynn Sr, Bessie Kennelly nee Lynn, Bill Lynn. Front row of children sitting cross-legged: Stewart Lynn (son of Joe), Leslie Lynn (son of George), Doug Grant (son of Jennie), Bill Grant (son of Jennie), Edith Lynn (daughter of Joe).