Mary Ann Burrows - Death Certificate 1905
Source: RBDM ref: Death 1905/5831 - supplied by Carol Baxter
Mary Ann Burrows was previously Mary Ann Bugg, the lover of bushranger Frederick Ward
This death certificate is shown at the bottom of the page
Mary Ann Burrows was previously Mary Ann Bugg, the lover of bushranger Frederick Ward
This death certificate is shown at the bottom of the page
Claims have been made in emails, articles, and letters to editors of various newspapers that the death certificate shown below could not possibly be that of Mary Ann Bugg for the following reasons:
Claim 1. Because Mary Ann Bugg died as Louisa Mason in November 1867.
Response: In fact, Louisa Mason was a different woman entirely as shown in the following myth-debunking piece: Did Mary Ann Bugg die in 1867? Moreover, a woman cannot give birth to a baby nine months after she dies so it is important to note that Mary Ann Bugg gave birth to Fred's namesake son, Frederick Wordsworth Ward, in August 1868, nine months after Louisa Mason died. This is proven by two independent and irrefutable pieces of primary source evidence: Fred jnr's Birth Certificate and his Baptism entry.
Claim 2. Because Mary Ann Burrows, aged 70 at the time of her death, was the wrong age for Mary Ann Bugg.
Response: In fact, at aged 70 in April 1905, Mary Ann Burrows was Mary Ann Bugg's exact age. Mary Ann Bugg was born in May 1834 so she turned 70 in May 1904. Therefore she was still 70 in April 1905 when she died. She would have turned 71 just a few weeks after her death. Simple mathematics.
Claim 3. Because the birth certificate of only one of Mary Ann Burrows' children has been located and that certificate - for George Herbert Burrows in 1876 - stated that his mother was Mary Ann Burgess, not Mary Ann Bugg.
Response: Mary Ann did indeed list her surname as Burgess in the Birth Certificate of her son George. But George himself listed his mother as Mary Ann Buggs in his own Marriage Certificate in 1900. Bugg(s) is a rare surname, and there were tens of thousands of other possible surnames that could have been listed on this certificate, including the obvious one Burgess. But George did not say that his mother was Mary Ann Burgess. Therefore, for anyone who understands historical evidence, the fact that George listed his mother as Mary Ann Buggs is a critical link in the chain of evidence showing that Mary Ann Burrows was Mary Ann Bugg. To map it out, George was listed as a son of Mary Ann Burrows on her Death Certificate; George himself said that his mother was named Mary Ann Buggs; therefore Mary Ann Burrows was also known by the name of Mary Ann Buggs. Further evidence proving that Mary Ann Burrows and Mary Ann Bugg were the same person is found in the myth-debunking piece When did Mary Ann Bugg actually die?
Claim 4. Because Mary Ann Burrows' Death Certificate noted that she was born in New Zealand and arrived in New South Wales when she was aged 2.
Response: Mary Ann Burrows' Death Certificate (shown below) did indeed note that she was born in New Zealand and that she arrived here when she was aged two. But it is important to note that this information was not provided by Mary Ann herself as she was dead. So do we know what Mary Ann Burrows said about her own birthplace? Indeed we do. On the Birth Certificate of her son George Herbert Burrows in 1876 she said that she was born in Gloucester. This means that Mary Ann Burrows, the woman who died in 1905, claimed for herself the same birth-place as Mary Ann Bugg.
So why did Mary Ann Burrows' Death Certificate say that she was born in New Zealand, when she herself said that she was born in Gloucester. Because it was expedient at the time to claim Maori rather than Aboriginal ancestry as covered in the myth-debunking piece Did Mary Ann Bugg claim Maori ancestry?
For more detailed evidence proving that Mary Ann Burrows was indeed Mary Ann Bugg, see When did Mary Ann Bugg die?
Claim 1. Because Mary Ann Bugg died as Louisa Mason in November 1867.
Response: In fact, Louisa Mason was a different woman entirely as shown in the following myth-debunking piece: Did Mary Ann Bugg die in 1867? Moreover, a woman cannot give birth to a baby nine months after she dies so it is important to note that Mary Ann Bugg gave birth to Fred's namesake son, Frederick Wordsworth Ward, in August 1868, nine months after Louisa Mason died. This is proven by two independent and irrefutable pieces of primary source evidence: Fred jnr's Birth Certificate and his Baptism entry.
Claim 2. Because Mary Ann Burrows, aged 70 at the time of her death, was the wrong age for Mary Ann Bugg.
Response: In fact, at aged 70 in April 1905, Mary Ann Burrows was Mary Ann Bugg's exact age. Mary Ann Bugg was born in May 1834 so she turned 70 in May 1904. Therefore she was still 70 in April 1905 when she died. She would have turned 71 just a few weeks after her death. Simple mathematics.
Claim 3. Because the birth certificate of only one of Mary Ann Burrows' children has been located and that certificate - for George Herbert Burrows in 1876 - stated that his mother was Mary Ann Burgess, not Mary Ann Bugg.
Response: Mary Ann did indeed list her surname as Burgess in the Birth Certificate of her son George. But George himself listed his mother as Mary Ann Buggs in his own Marriage Certificate in 1900. Bugg(s) is a rare surname, and there were tens of thousands of other possible surnames that could have been listed on this certificate, including the obvious one Burgess. But George did not say that his mother was Mary Ann Burgess. Therefore, for anyone who understands historical evidence, the fact that George listed his mother as Mary Ann Buggs is a critical link in the chain of evidence showing that Mary Ann Burrows was Mary Ann Bugg. To map it out, George was listed as a son of Mary Ann Burrows on her Death Certificate; George himself said that his mother was named Mary Ann Buggs; therefore Mary Ann Burrows was also known by the name of Mary Ann Buggs. Further evidence proving that Mary Ann Burrows and Mary Ann Bugg were the same person is found in the myth-debunking piece When did Mary Ann Bugg actually die?
Claim 4. Because Mary Ann Burrows' Death Certificate noted that she was born in New Zealand and arrived in New South Wales when she was aged 2.
Response: Mary Ann Burrows' Death Certificate (shown below) did indeed note that she was born in New Zealand and that she arrived here when she was aged two. But it is important to note that this information was not provided by Mary Ann herself as she was dead. So do we know what Mary Ann Burrows said about her own birthplace? Indeed we do. On the Birth Certificate of her son George Herbert Burrows in 1876 she said that she was born in Gloucester. This means that Mary Ann Burrows, the woman who died in 1905, claimed for herself the same birth-place as Mary Ann Bugg.
So why did Mary Ann Burrows' Death Certificate say that she was born in New Zealand, when she herself said that she was born in Gloucester. Because it was expedient at the time to claim Maori rather than Aboriginal ancestry as covered in the myth-debunking piece Did Mary Ann Bugg claim Maori ancestry?
For more detailed evidence proving that Mary Ann Burrows was indeed Mary Ann Bugg, see When did Mary Ann Bugg die?
Birth, Death and Marriage Registrations on this website are reproduced with the permission of the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages for and on behalf of the Crown in and for the State of New South Wales.