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Family Links
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Spouses/Children:
1. Fredrick Cook
2. Private
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Mary Ann Morris
- Born: 18 Dec 1851, Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
- Unmarried: (1): Fredrick Cook Abt 1878
- Unmarried: (2): Private 1875
- Died: 20 Jan 1945, Auckland, , , New Zealand at age 93
- Buried: 22 Jan 1945, Pukekohe, , , New Zealand
 Other names for Mary were Mary Maria Cook and Mary Francis.
General Notes:
Story goes that she worked in England for the Duke of Bedford in an Upstairs/Downstairs situation.
She became pregnant to the son of the master of the houses and was given a "Grace and Favour House" on the grounds. The fathers family took care of the well-being of the child, sending him to public schools and ensuring he was well educated.
She eventually met a man, Fredrick Cook, and escaped the life she had been living with him to Australia where they ran a farm in the outback.
Both the sons of Fredrick Cook died soon after moving to Australia. They moved from the outback and bought a pawn shop in Kings Cross, I assume because they could no longer run the farm.
When her son married a poor uneducated girl from the Ghetto she was devestated. When her son then moved to New Zealand they sold the pawn shop and followed.
She moved to the Waikato where she ran a country store in the Churchill district (about 7 miles from Rangiriri).
Later in life, when she could no longer run the store, she moved to live with her son and daughter in law. It appears she may of suffered from some mental illness (dementia of some kind?) at this time and was eventually moved to a rest home, where she died.
Death Notes:
Died at St Stephens Hospital near the Bombay hills in Auckland. She was then taken and buried in the nearby cemetery.
Mary pretended to be married to Fredrick Cook about 1878. (Fredrick Cook was born on 7 May 1851 in Luton, , Bedfordshire, England, died on 17 Jun 1919 in Churchill, , , New Zealand and was buried on 19 Jun 1919 in Rangiriri, , , New Zealand.)
Marriage Notes:
Supposedly Fredrick Cooks wife was in a Mental Asylum in England. For whatever reason Mary Ann assumed the role of his wife and travelled to Australia with him and his two sons (along with her son Bertie).
She later claimed she was Mary Maria Bowell (his true wife) in order to claim his estate after he died.
Mary had an affair with Private
Marriage Notes:
This relationship is based on the family story that the father of "Bertie" Morris was the Marquis of Tavistock. This is backed up by some circumstantial evidence and memories of various people, but cannot be proved and may be untrue.
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