Mary Ann Darby

     (For a brief history and context on the Darby family see this page)

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.


Mary was born on Saturday, 12 April 1806 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. Mary Ann Darby was baptised at Lady Huntingdon's Connexion on Saturday, 24 May 1806 at Hertford.¹ 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.



Her mother died circa January 1821. She was about 19 when this happened.²

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.³

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.³

She may have attended the wedding of her sister in the marriage of John Speller Wright and Martha Darby in a Church of England ceremony at St. Pancras Parish Chapel on Wednesday, 11 January 1837 at St. Pancras, London. John and Martha went on to have two children together.^4,5,6

She may have attended the wedding of her sister in the marriage of Joseph William Peck and Ann Darby in a Church of England ceremony at St. Leonard's on Monday, 1 April 1839 at Shoreditch, London. They married seventeen days before they set sail for South Australia.^7,2

She was recorded as living with her father and her sister Elizabeth in the 1841 census at Port Hill, Bengeo, Hertford. She was recorded as being 21 years old.⁸

She may have attended the wedding of her brother in the marriage of Samuel Darby and Mary Ann Taylor in a Church of England ceremony at St. Mary on Sunday, 27 June 1841 at Ealing, Middlesex. Mary and Samuel had no known children.^9,10

She married William Skerman, a clockmaker, marrying for the third time, son of James Skerman and Ann Cotton, in a Church of England ceremony at St. Pancras New Church on Wednesday, 26 October 1842 at St. Pancras, London. This was the third marriage for William. The wedding certificate was also signed by Amelia Darby and Laurence John Coxall. Others who may have attended the wedding include George Darby as father of the bride. Brothers and sisters who may have attended include Lucretia Darby, Eliza Darby and Elizabeth Darby. They went on to have 5 children together.^11,12,13

In George Darby's will on 16 May 1850 Elizabeth Darby, Mary Ann Darby and Eliza Darby were named as heirs. Of his other children, three other surviving sons (John, Thomas and William) are not named in the will. Perhaps this was because they had emigrated to Australia, but Samuel had also emigrated and is named. In any event, both John and William died in the three years that followed, both before their father's death. Further, George did not name his second wife in the will either, and may have been estranged from her. Elizabeth got the newly constructed house and its grounds, as well as the household goods furtniture and effects that it contained but was required to pay one hundred pounds into the estate (for the ultimate division between her married sisters Mary Ann and Eliza and one of her brothers in South Australia, Samuel)..¹⁴

Mary Ann Darby was recorded as the spouse of William Skerman in the 1851 census at Parliament Row, Hertford.¹⁵

On 26 January 1853 her brother John died at the approximate age of 34 in South Australia.¹⁶

Her father died 4 March 1853 at the approximate age of 74. Mary was aged 46 when this happened.

George Darby's will was probated on 20 April 1853.¹⁴

Mary Ann Darby was recorded as the spouse of William Skerman in the 1861 census at Hertford. Also living in the house were four of their chldren.¹⁷

Mary Ann Darby was recorded as the spouse of William Skerman in the 1871 census at Hertford. She was recorded as being Also in the household were 3 of their children.¹⁸

She was recorded as living with (an unknown value) in the 1881 census at Hertford. She was recorded as being her son Charles and his wife, one of his daughters and two of her grandsons.¹⁹

Mary died circa October 1882 at Hertford.²⁰