Mary Ann Woodward was born on June 3, 1839, in Abergavenny in the coal mining area of Monmouthshire,Wales. Her parents John and Sarah Price Woodward married at 17. Mary Ann was the second of their five children. Mary Ann’s time in Wales was as turbulent as it is sad. Her education was lacking, she never learned to read or write. Her sister died before her first birthday. Mom Sarah died when Mary Ann was 11, her father died a scant two years later, leaving Mary Ann and her siblings orphans. The eldest, her brother William remained in Wales working as a puddler [Puddling is a process converting pig iron into wrought iron with the use of a furnace]. I haven’t been able to trace sister Emma after her parents died. Mary Ann left the coal region of Wales for the coal region of Pennsylvania. There she reunited with her younger sister SarahMaria Armstrong.
During the Civil War many miners including Thomas moved
their families to the Shamokin area for work. The late 1870s were difficult
times as the country reset itself following the war while railroad and mining management/labor
unrest grew. In 1877 the first major uprisingin Shamokin took place, leaving miners like Thomas once again unemployed
with little or no resources at their disposal. Daughter Bridget presented her
parents with their first grandchild. Little Emma lived
with her grandparents for her first few years of her life as shown in the 1880census.
Mary Ann like her parents, died an early death. She
passed on March 13, 1884, in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, at the age of 44, and was
buried in St Edwards Cemetery.
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