Analysis: How many children were born to
Frederick Ward and Mary Ann Bugg?
It is impossible to state with certainty how many children Fred and Mary Ann had. We know from Mary Ann’s Death Certificate that Fred fathered three who survived to adulthood: Marina (1861), ?Eliza (1865) and Fred Jnr (1868) - see Searching for Mary Ann Bugg's children.[1]
It is also possible that Fred fathered one (or perhaps two) who died in infancy. Mary Ann reported in 1876 in the Birth Certificate of her son George that she had eleven children living at that time with another two deceased. No traces of the deceased children have been found to date, however we can speculate when these children might have been born. The list of Mary Ann’s known children shows small gaps in 1864 and 1867 and a large gap around 1872 (see Searching for Mary Ann Bugg's children). Given that two of these gaps fall within the timeframe of her relationship with Fred Ward, it is likely that one, at least, of her deceased children was fathered by Fred.[1]
The claims in various Thunderbolt publications that Fred and Mary Ann were the parents of Elizabeth Ann born in 1864 and Mary Ann born in 1866 are wrong, although the child Elizabeth Ann (allegedly born in 1864) was almost certainly Eliza (born mid-1865).[1] The only references to a child named Mary Ann are found in letters from descendants found among the Thunderbolt papers held at the Armidale Heritage Centre. They offer no substantiation except “family stories” and are not supported by any primary source evidence whatsoever. For a discussion of the problems associated with family stories, see Family Stories as Historical Evidence.
Sources:
[1] See also Mary Ann Bugg and Fred Ward and Mary Ann Bugg and her family for more detailed information and source-references.
It is also possible that Fred fathered one (or perhaps two) who died in infancy. Mary Ann reported in 1876 in the Birth Certificate of her son George that she had eleven children living at that time with another two deceased. No traces of the deceased children have been found to date, however we can speculate when these children might have been born. The list of Mary Ann’s known children shows small gaps in 1864 and 1867 and a large gap around 1872 (see Searching for Mary Ann Bugg's children). Given that two of these gaps fall within the timeframe of her relationship with Fred Ward, it is likely that one, at least, of her deceased children was fathered by Fred.[1]
The claims in various Thunderbolt publications that Fred and Mary Ann were the parents of Elizabeth Ann born in 1864 and Mary Ann born in 1866 are wrong, although the child Elizabeth Ann (allegedly born in 1864) was almost certainly Eliza (born mid-1865).[1] The only references to a child named Mary Ann are found in letters from descendants found among the Thunderbolt papers held at the Armidale Heritage Centre. They offer no substantiation except “family stories” and are not supported by any primary source evidence whatsoever. For a discussion of the problems associated with family stories, see Family Stories as Historical Evidence.
Sources:
[1] See also Mary Ann Bugg and Fred Ward and Mary Ann Bugg and her family for more detailed information and source-references.