Biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert
Mary Roebuck was born Mary Richards Cothey in 1854 in Penzance, Cornwall, England, the eldest daughter of William, a stonemason, and Catherine nee Richards. Mary married Charles Allen Quick in 1871 in Plymouth, Devon, England. Charles was twenty years older, the son of Israel and Jane nee Allen. He had been married before to Betsy Painter and they had immigrated to Victoria, Australia where Charles was involved with the Salvation Army. Three children were born, then they went back to England, where Betsy died.
After Mary and Charles were married, Mary arrived alone at Nelson, in 1874, aboard the Michael Angelo. Charles may have come to NZ via Australia. In Nelson three children were born:
- Wilmott Jane (1875-1947)
- Catherine Elizabeth (1877-1952)
- William Paul (1878-1878) died aged 10 days and buried in Wakapuaka Cemetery
In October 1879 Charles died in Nelson aged 49, and was also buried in the Wakapuaka Cemetery, Nelson. Before a year was up, Mary married, at the residence of the bridegroom's mother in Okato near New Plymouth, to Frank Ernest Roebuck. Both were aged 25, he was born in South Australia, the eldest son of Stephen Johnson Roebuck and Mary Saint. They had arrived in 1864 with the Taranaki Military Settlers Scheme, and Stephen was killed the following year.
For a time, Frank and Mary farmed at Okato where six children were born:
- Charles Edward (1881-1945)
- Stephen William (1882-1956)
- Annabel Mary (1884-1884)
- Fanny Maud (1885-1885)
- Luie (1886-1938)
- Fanny (1887-1955)
By 1888 the family were living in Kaeo, Northland, where the rest of the children were born:
- Walter Frederick (1888-1967)
- Robert (1890-1935)
- William Douglas (1891–1946)
- Frank Gordon (1893-1893)
In 1894 Mary was living in Oliphant Street, Auckland alone on the electoral roll. By 1897 Frank was living in Coromandel and working as a carpenter. For the next twenty years they lived in Richmond Road, Ponsonby, where Frank continued working as a carpenter, with their son Stephen working as a carpenter too. In 1922 Mary and Frank moved to Whakatane, to be near family. Mary died in September 1923, at her daughter's residence in Whakatane. She was buried in the Domain Road Cemetery.
Her probate worth 400 pounds; left children Charles, Robert, Catherine 15 pounds, Walter and Douglas 10 pounds. Fanny was to have the piano, sewing machine and bedroom suite. Luie was to get the furniture, then everything else to be sold and divided between Fanny and Luie.Frank died in June 1935 in Whakatane aged 79 years and was buried in the Domain Road Cemetery, Whakatāne.
Sources
Intentions to Marry New Plymouth 1880
PAPERS PAST Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3456, 15 June 1880, Page 2
PAPERS PAST New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18498, 7 September 1923, Page 1
Archway probate Mary
Historical BDMs
Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com)