Restoration fund for the grave of Maria Williams Kemp at the St James cemetary

Maria Williams Kemp (nee Wilson)

Maria Williams Wilson was born in Barbados (Windward Isles) c 1816, the only daughter of John Alexander Wilson, Captain of Queens Own Regiment, and Elizabeth Hall. Capt John Wilson died in Quebec in 1820 and his wife Elizabeth was left to bring up a family of five sons and one daughter on her own with very limited means.

The second son, Maria’s brother John Alexander, married Anne Catherine Hawker in 1828 and they were posted to New Zealand with the Church Missionary Society. They left England and in 1833 arrived in New Zealand with their two young sons. Two more sons were born to them and in 1838 Anne Wilson died, aged 36. She was nursed in her final months by Charlotte Brown at Te Papa, now known as The Elms, Tauranga.

John Wilson wrote to his sister Maria asking her to come out to New Zealand and help him to look after his young family. Maria was 23 years old and engaged to be married. She duly arrived in NZ in 1839 accompanied by her mother Elizabeth. Upon their arrival in NZ Elizabeth Wilson stayed only long enough to see Maria settled then she returned to England.

After some time in Paihia Maria journeyed to Te Papa and stayed with the Brown family who had been helping to look after the Wilson children. Rev John was sent to Opotiki to begin a new Mission Station and Maria accompanied him with the children. She kept up a regular correspondence with Mrs Brown and many of the letters she wrote to her were kept by the Browns and provide an insight to life of the missionary family in the 1830’s. It was a very lonely and at times difficult life for Maria, and Mrs Brown provided loving support for her.

When they arrived in NZ, Maria and her Mother had met the Kemp family in the Bay of Islands. Maria had formed a friendship with Henry Tacy Kemp, eldest son of James and Charlotte Kemp, missionaries, of Kerikeri. He was about four years younger than Maria, and her brother and her family were opposed to the match.

However Rev John eventually gave his permission and in 1842 they were married at Te Papa by Archdeacon Brown. They journeyed up to Russell where Henry had secured a job with the Government.

Maria and Henry Kemp only spent a short time in the Bay of Islands before moving to Wellington where Henry took up a position as Native Secretary. Maria would have enjoyed the social life in Wellington and also in Auckland where they shifted in 1865. In their retirement they shifted back up to the Bay of Islands. Maria died in Kerikeri in 1889, aged about 73, Henry died in Auckland 1901 age 80.

They had six children and also adopted Alfred, the illegitimate child of their daughter Ella. Alfred sadly drowned in 1887 and his name appears also on Maria’s headstone.

Their children were:

Anne Catherine(Edmonds), Georgiana(Kemp), Ella, Dora Mary Grey(Morrison), George Frederick Henry, Godfrey Christopher Moore.

Photos of her show a kindly looking woman, and she is remembered as a cultured person, well educated, fluent in French, with a knowledge of Latin as well. My Grandmother said that it had been mentioned that she suffered from ill health and was often homesick. She never travelled back to England again. Her name continues in our family, with some family members bearing the name Maria.

Dorna Crowther

References

“My Hand Will Write What My Heart Dictates. Max Armstrong

Kemp family History - Billie Kemp