Maria Keir

Biography contributed by Mrs Colyn Storer, Sydney, Australia

Maria Keir was born Emma Maria Doggett in the September Qtr of 1851 in Ipswich district of Suffolk, the fourth child of William David (David) Doggett and Matilda nee Ivory who married in Norwich on 24 March 1845. Matilda’s father was a Baptist Minister in Norfolk. She had four siblings, Hannah (Little), Matilda Rebecca, (Bradley), John and Lucy Priscilla (Harman).  All the sisters signed the petition.

They arrived in New Zealand on the Glentanner on 3rd October 1857 from Gravesend. However, tragedy struck two months later when her father William died on 8th December from the effects of the voyage. Her brother Aquila, wife Ann and daughter Louisa were also on board but their young son William died on the voyage aged 12 months. They settled at Rangiora and were welcomed and helped by her mother’s brother William Emmis Ivory and her sister and brother in law William and Hannah Stapleforth who had all arrived on Cashmere in 1855. 

Her mother who was a school teacher opened the first school at Rangiora and her children were among the first students. It was closed when Charles Merton opened his and the children transferred there. Matilda re-married Louis Marin and died in 1894.

Marie married Peter Keir at Rangiora on 18 May 1880. He was born Perthshire Scotland and emigrated in 1864 on the Mermaid. He was employed in the building trade. They had four children, Catherine later married James McKie, David, Thomas and Charles, who all survived her.

She was an early member of the Good Templar Lodge and took an active part in furthering the Temperance movement in the town and district. The family were initially members of the Baptist church where her uncle William Ivory was the minister.  Later they became members of the Presbyterian church and were involved in all its activities.

She died on 29 October 1922 at their home at Albert St Rangiora, and was buried at the Presbyterian Cemetery. Her life was remembered with an extensive biography in Press on 31st October. Her husband died on 11 May 1924. His obituary added more information. 

Others of her extended family who also signed the Petition were her three sisters. All were grandchildren or their daughters from John Ivory and Sarah nee Emms of Norfolk.

Her three sisters L Harman (237), Hannah Little (318), Rebecca Bradley (262) and Rebecca’s daughters, Lucy Emily and Maud M Davies both sheet 262.  

Also Margaret Jennings (nee Stapleforth) sheet 241, both she and her husband’s mothers were Ivory family descendants. Cousin by marriage – Helen Ivory (nee Bartrum) Sheet 240.

References

Birth: and her siblings: 

UK GRO Indexes: https://www.gro.gov.uk/ (NOT the indexes on free.bmd or Ancestry or findmypast). These GRO indexes give mother’s maiden names and age at death

Her Parents’ Marriage: 

British Newspapers on findmypast 
Norfolk News 29 March 1845, Marriages Page 3 of 4
On Monday last (*= Easter Monday 24th March) at the Baptist Chapel, St Clement’s Mr William Doggett to Miss Matilda Ivory, daughter of Mr John Ivory, Baptist minister Cossey. 

Census: 

1851 Census at Glemsford Suffolk

Emigration: 

Family Search
New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973
William Doggett Arrival 03 Oct 1857 Canterbury, New Zealand
Ship Name Glentanner (and his wife and children) 
"New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSBY-J6L : 8 August 2017), William Doggett, 03 Oct 1857; citing ship Glentanner, Archives New Zealand, Wellington; FHL microfilm 4,407,309.
Arrival Lyttleton: Shipping News. Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 514, 7 October 1857
Page 4 Passenger List, Page 5 description of a storm near South Africa when the ship almost turned over and would have been lost
Page 5 Advertisements for Passengers to collect their luggage.

NZ BDMs: 

https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz

PapersPast: 

Many records of the extended families, from the 1860s onwards, occupations,
Community involvement, Church associations, Deaths, Obituaries.

Death, Burial: 

Ancestry.com. New Zealand, Cemetery Records, 1800-2007 
[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

Obituary: 

WOMEN'S CORNER. Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17599, 31 October 1922 page 2, including detailed information about her father’s death and subsequent burial and the first cemetery at Rangiora.

Her husband’s OBITUARY. Press, Volume LX, Issue 18070, 12 May 1924, including detailed information about her father’s death and subsequent burial and the first cemetery at Rangiora.