BARONESS DE THIERRY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 131, 30 November 1933, Page 8

BARONESS DE THIERRY

V- ■■■■»-■ -.-'■ ;V/, DEATH At AUCKLAN&

EARLY HISTORY RECALLED

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, This Day.

• The Baroness Mary Jane de Thierry died at her home today at the age o? 100 years. She was a daughter-in-law of the famous Baron Charles de Thierry, who arranged in 1823 to acquire, a tract of 40,000 acres from the Maoris along the shores of Hokianga Harbour while he was still in England,.and who eventually arrived in New Zealand ! with his, family to substantiate his, claim. This claim was disallowed by the British Government, and the land' holding was reduced to a relatively few acres by the Maori chiefs.

The Baroness de Thierry was'born in County' Armagh, Ireland, in. October, 1833, and came out to New. Zealand with her first husband,/ Mr. BroWn> in--1865. Her only child died on .the ship Gauges on the voyage. She experienced the hardships that'.fell .,t6 the lot of pioneer settlers in the Waikato, and at one time was engaged in washiug-th? clothes of Imperial soldiers who were in the district. She becamel a widow', and later married Baron Charles Tjionias Frederick de Thierry, eldest soit'ofUhe early pioneer. There was noyissuo' of this marriage, although there was' 'already a family., of five step-children to be mothered. The eldest... of the£e children was the late FJrJ.de Thierry, inheritor of the title, who..' died ' at Mount Albert, Auckland, nearly two years ago. Baron Charles Thomas Frederick de Thierry was born in Cambridge, England, in 1821, and also successfully, pressed, the; claims1 of his father. He^died at the age 0f.82. : i