Ann Darby

     NOTE: The information on this page is my research to date and is subject to change as I become better informed. I very much welcome any corrections or additional info you might have - my email address is at the bottom of this page. Whilst historical facts are not copyright, my writing about these facts are. If you wish to use any text from this site on Ancestry or on any other website, please ask me first - Tim Hill.


Ann was born on Friday, 5 June 1812 at Hertford.^1,2 The city of Hertford dates back to at least 673, and was an important market town surrounded by agricultural land. From the late 16th century, it had access to the London corn markets via the Lea river.

She was the daughter of George Darby and Elizabeth Aylott. Ann Darby was baptised at Lady Huntingdon's Connexion on Monday, 12 April 1813 at Hertford.³ Lady Huntingdon's Chapel was one a series of chapels founded in the 18th century by the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion as part of a Calvinistic movement within the Methodist church. She insisted that they should all subscribe to the doctrines of the Church of England and use only the Book of Common Prayer. It was apparently founded in 1800, and started keeping registers from 1806.

She may have been baptised at Churchgate College on Sunday, 12 September 1813 at Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.⁴

Her mother died circa January 1821. She was about 9 when this happened.⁵

She may have attended the wedding of her sister in the marriage of Jerimiah Playl and Eliza Darby in a Church of England ceremony at St. Leonard's on Monday, 7 April 1828 at Shoreditch, London. Eliza was married on the same day as her older sister Lucretia, and they, along with their father, were witnesses for each other. Jerimiah and Eliza went on to have six children together.⁶

She may have attended the wedding of her sister in the marriage of John Warner and Lucretia Darby in a Church of England ceremony at St. Leonard's on Monday, 7 April 1828 at Shoreditch, London. Lucretia was married on the same day as her younger sister Eliza, and they, along with their father, were witnesses for each other.⁶

Ann and Samuel Darby attended the wedding of John Speller Wright and his sister Martha Darby in a Church of England ceremony at St. Pancras Parish Chapel on Wednesday, 11 January 1837 at St. Pancras, London. They also signed the marriage certificate as witnesses. Others who may have attended the wedding include Elizabeth (?) as mother of the bride, George Darby as father of the bride and William Wright as father of the groom.^7,8,9 Ann Darby and Joseph William Peck made an application for free passage to South Australia. The original document has them single, then seems changed to say that they were married, perhaps as a reflection of impending marriage a month later. They made the application at the same time as Ann's brother John and his wife and their brother Thomas on 1 March 1839.¹⁰

She married Joseph William Peck, a builder, son of William Peck, in a Church of England ceremony at St. Leonard's on Monday, 1 April 1839 at Shoreditch, London. She was 26 and her husband Joseph was 21. They married seventeen days before they set sail for South Australia. The wedding certificate was also signed by Amelia Darby and Laurence John Coxall. Joseph and Ann went on to have five children together. Brothers and sisters who may have attended include Lucretia Darby, Mary Ann Darby, William Darby, Martha Darby, Thomas Darby, John D. Darby, Samuel Darby and Elizabeth Darby.^11,5

At the age of 26 Ann and her husband Joseph emigrated with Ann's brothers Thomas and John, John's wife Mary, her sister Martha and Martha's husband John Speller Wright. from London on 20 April 1839 on the 'Somersetshire.¹²' Ann and her husband Joseph arrived at Port Adelaide, South Australia, on 25 August 1839.¹²


On her arrival, there were a little over 10,000 people in the colony.¹³

The family was mentioned in a letter from another South Australian immigrant. Describing something of their circumstances on 21 March 1840:


No doubt this letter was very eagerly received back home.^14,15

She may have attended the wedding of her brother in the marriage of Thomas Darby and Jessie Nicholson in a Congregationalist ceremony conducted by Reverend Edward Knight Baker on Thursday, 23 November 1848 at Morphett Vale, South Australia. A week earlier at the same place, Thomas' brother John had married Mary Leonard. No parents of the bride and groom attended the ceremony.^16,17

Her brother John died Wednesday, 26 January 1853 after a brief illness, aged 34.¹⁸

Her father died 4 March 1853 at the approximate age of 74. Ann was aged 40 when this happened.

In 1854 Joseph was assessed for rates of £14 for holding a house on 7.5 acres. He was assessed the same in 1867/1868, except by then he had added a shop.¹⁹

Her brother Samuel died Saturday, 11 October 1856 in a horrific accident on a paddlesteamer when one of the boilers he was tending exploded. Ann Darby and Joseph William Peck selected land in October 1861 at Noarlunga, South Australia.²⁰

Ann died on 11 December 1883 at Morphett Vale, South Australia, at age 71 "after a long and severe illness".²¹ Her body was interred at Bain's Cemetery on 14 December 1883 at Morphett Vale, South Australia. On the headstone her first name is spelled 'Anne'.^22,23