Mary Sillars

Birth & Emigration to New Zealand

Mary comes from Machrihanish Bay in Scotland, she was born on the 1st of July in 1848 and was registered in Campbeltown, Argyllshire, Scotland to parents Archibald Sillars and Catherine Sillars (née McSporran), she was baptised on the 6th of August, 1848, also in Campbeltown.¹

Mary emigrated to New Zealand at the age of ~18, I haven’t found her ship yet, but there is some evidence for her passage on the Schleswig Bride ship arriving in Port Chalmers on the 8th of October 1868 ² (which would be ~age 20). It’s worth noting that the other Sillars passengers include a Barbara and Archibald Sillars, who were present at Mary’s wedding in New Zealand ³ - I don’t think this Archibald was her father, but they were very likely relatives of some sort.

Marriage & Children

Mary married Alexander Livingston Wilson at the home of Mrs. Archibald Sillars on Green Island on the 13th of January, 1873 the witnesses were James Shannon, a fellmonger from Kaikorai, and Barbara Sillars from Green Island. The wedding was officiated by a Michael Watz.³

Together, Mary and Alexander had five children:

• Catherine McSporran Wilson, born on the 11th of December in 1873.⁴ Catherine did not marry, and passed away in October, 1956 at the age of 81,⁵ and is buried in Block 14/119 of the Eastern Cemetery in Invercargill, alongside her parents and sister Mary, sister in-law Jeanie Ward Wilson, and her brother Archibald.

• Alexander Livingston Wilson, born in 1872.⁶ In 1917, Alexander married Marion Elizabeth Taylor,⁷ and together they had two daughters: Mary Eveline Wilson, born in 1918 ⁸ and Annie Elizabeth Wilson, born in 1920.⁹ Alexander sadly committed suicide on the 2nd of April 1923 at the age of 47^{10 11}, and is buried in block 14/108 of the Eastern Cemetery in Invercargill.

  

• Archibald Sillars Wilson, born on the 12th of December, 1875.¹² In 1902, Archibald married Jeannie Ward Howie.¹³ Sadly, Jeannie passed away a year later giving birth to the couple’s son, also named Archibald Sillars Wilson, born on the 16th of April, in 1903.¹⁴ Archibald died in May 1904 and is buried in Block 14/119 of the Eastern Cemetery in Invercargill, alongside his parents and sisters Catherine and Mary, and his wife Jeanie Ward Wilson. After Mary’s son Archibald’s death, Mary adopted his orphaned son and raised him.

• Charles William Wilson, born on the 24th of December, 1877.¹⁵ In 1903, Charles married Jeannie Mackay MacIntyre,¹⁶ and together they had three children: Annie MacIntyre Wilson, born on the 28th of May in 1904;¹⁷ Charles William Wilson, born in 1906;¹⁸ and Alexander Livingstone Wilson, born on the 6th of June in 1907.¹⁹ Charles died in August, 1955 at the age of 78,²⁰ he is buried in Block 34/865 of the Eastern Cemetery in Invercargill.

• Mary Sellars Wilson, born in 1883.²¹ Mary did not marry, and passed away in September, 1933 at the age of 51,²² and is buried in Block 14/119 of the Eastern Cemetery in Invercargill, alongside her parents and sister Catherine, sister in-law Jeanie Ward Wilson, and her brother Archibald.

Neil McSporran’s Will

On the 10th of June, in 1902 the Southland times reported a probate granting the will of the farmer Neil McSporran, of Oteramika to Mary Sillars Wilson:²³

It might be interesting to look into Neil McSporran’s parents to see how they are linked (obvs through Mary’s Mother’s side, but more specifically). His Death record is: [BDM Historical Death Records Registration #: 1902/3938]. I’m pretty sure it’s her uncle or cousin or maybe Great Uncle? Here is his Will:²⁴

Eight years later, Mary became involved in a Supreme Court case disputing the probate of Neil McSporran. His Will appointed Mary to be the executor of a trust, which allowed his two spinster sisters Susan (~1835-1913) and Barbara (~1836-1909) McSporran to remain living at his farm for the remainder of their lives, or for them to live elsewhere and rental income from the farm to be split between them, but for the farm to eventually belong to Mary upon their deaths. The Southland Times reported that Susan McSporran (Barbara had died the year previous) called for two actions, the first, to set aside the will of Neil McSporran, on the grounds that Neil was of unsound mind, and that Mary held undue influence over him, and secondly that the land was not his to bequeath, as he held them in a trust for Susan and Barbara. Ultimately it was decided that there was not sufficient evidence for either of these actions, the judgements were reported in the Southland Times:²⁵

1914

In January, 1914, the Otago Witness and the Southland Times reported the approval of an application for land by Mary Sillars Wilson.²⁶ This would have been approximately 1 year following the death of Neil McSporran’s sister Susan, so it’s possible that Mary bought this farm with the proceeds from finally selling Neil McSporran’s farm after the death of his sister.

Around the time of Mary’s eldest son’s suicide (April 1923), her husband Alexander was “compelled by ill health to give up active work”, and six months later, on the 9th of October, 1923,²⁷ Alexander passed away at his home in Makarewa. Alexander’s death certificate reports his cause of death to be carcinoma of the rectum and cachexia - which refers to “weakness and wasting of the body due to severe chronic illness”.

Death

Mary passed away on the 8th of March in 1937 in Makarewa, Southland, New Zealand, at the age of 88. ²⁸

Will

In Mary’s Will, she leaves her section in Makarewa to her adopted son (her grandson - son of Archibald & Jeannie Wilson) Archibald Sillars Wilson.²⁹ For your poor eyes I have typed the hand written section and relevant typed section here:

“I GIVE DEVISE AND BEQUEATH my Section at Cooper’s Corner Makarewa aforesaid to my adopted son ARCHIBALD SILLARS WILSON absolutely and in the event of his predeceasing me then I GIVE DEVISE AND BEQUEATH the same to the lawful issue of the said Archibald Sillars Wilson in equal shares share and share alike and in the default(?) of lawful issue of the said Archibald Sillars Wilson I give devise and bequeath the same to Jeannie Sillars McCullan and her children Jean, Mary, and Nancy(?)in equal shares AND as to the whole of my personal property and the residue of my real property I GIVE DEVISE AND BEQUEATH the same to my daughter Catherine McSporran Wilson absolutely.". I’m not sure who this Jeannie Sillars MCullan is, possibly a sister or cousin (via the Barbara & Archibald Sillars’ with whom she stayed before marriage?).

References