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Mrs Maria SEARY, née Harris (1823–1886)
St Paul (St Barnabas) section: Row 35, Grave H1

Maria Harris was born in Horspath in 1823 and baptised there on 2 March, the daughter of Samuel Harris, a labourer who later described himself as a farmer, and his wife Mary. Her eight siblings were also baptised at Horspath: Alfred (1811), Charles (1812), Louisa (1814), Benjamin (1816), Phoebe (1818), Samuel (1820), Henry (1825), and Mary Anne (1827).

Her future husband David Seary, the son of the ostler Capel Seary, was born in Burford in 1797, and was hence 25 years her senior. He was living in St Peter-in-the-East parish in Oxford when he married his first wife Susannah (or Susan) Swadling at St Mary-the-Virgin Church, Oxford on 27 October 1824. At the time of the 1841 census they were living at St Aldate's parish with their children Joseph (14), Eliza (12), and Richard (5). His first wife Susannah died at the age of 53 in 1847 and was buried in St Aldate's churchyard on 12 January.

On 30 April 1848 at St Saviour's Church in Southwark, Maria Harris (25) married the widower David Seary (50), who was described as an umbrella maker. Both were then staying at Great Guildford Street in Southwark, but they returned to Oxford and had the following children, the first born soon after the wedding:

• Selina Mary Ann Seary (born at King's Row, St Aldate's, Oxford in 1848, and baptised at St Aldate's Church on 27 October)
• David Henry Seary (born in St Aldate's Oxford near the beginning of 1850 and baptised at St Aldate's Church on 11 October)
• Jesse Seary (born in Oxford in 1853, reg. fourth quarter)
• John Seary (born in Oxford in 1859, reg. second quarter).

Maria's husband was described in the baptismal registers as a musician in 1848 and as an umbrella maker in 1850, and is listed as the latter in King's Row, St Aldate's in Gardner's Directory for 1852. (Rather oddly, he was described as having been a college servant when his son John was married in 1884.)

At the time of the 1851 census Maria was living St Aldate's Street with her husband David, now described as a musician, and their first two children Selena (2) and David (1).

Maria's husband David Seary died at Nelson Street, Oxford at the age of 62 in February 1860 and was buried in St Sepulchre's Cemetery on 12 February (St Paul plot ref. H.27).

At the time of the 1861 census Maria, a widow of 38, was working as a nurse and living at 13 Nelson Street in Jericho with her children Selina (11), David (10), Jesse (6), and John (2).

Maria's daughter Selina Mary Ann Seary died in Poole, Dorset in 1866.

Maria was staying at 61 St Clement's Street on the census night of 1871, caring for Sarah Debron, a grocer's wife who had just given birth. Her own three surviving children were old enough to look after themselves, and were at home at 13 Nelson Street: David (21) was a shorthand writer, Jesse (16) was a domestic servant, and John (12) was at school.

Maria's son David Henry Seary died in the Penzance area at the age of 27 in 1878.

At the time of the 1881 census Maria, who was still working as a nurse, was living at 49 Great Clarendon Street with her two surviving children Jesse (25) and John (22), who were both printers.

Her son John was married in 1884:

• On 9 March 1884 at St Barnabas's Church, Oxford, John Seary (25), described as a type founder, married
  Elizabeth Hiatt (21), the daughter of the labourer Daniel Hiatt.

Maria died in 1886:

† Mrs Maria Seary née Harris died at 49 Great Clarendon Street at the age of 63 (although headstone says 60) on 18 April 1886 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 22 April (burial recorded in the parish register of St Barnabas's Church).

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Surviving children of Maria Seary

• Jesse Seary (born 1853) was a single man of 45 in 1901, living off his own means and lodging with a publican at 9 Canal Street in Jericho. He was living at 21 Cranham Street when he died at the Cowley Road Hospital at the age of 72 on 9 December 1927. His executor was his nephew, the confectioner Jesse Seary.
• John Seary (born 1859) and his wife Elizabeth had fourteen children. At the time of the 1901 census they were living at 42 Canal Street, and John was working as a general labourer and Elizabeth as a cook, and nine of their children were at home. They were still there in 1911 with eight of their children, and John (52) was now a musician in a territorial band, and Elizabeth (48) was a shop assistant.