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Priscilla Hannah Fry - the Enigma...

An email dated 23 July 2011 from Maryann Mussared, living in Canberra, Australia, has revealed a mystery that has us all intrigued...

Maryann and other members of her family in Australia have records that show that they are related to Priscilla Hannah Fry, daughter of Joseph Storrs Fry and Ann.

But the recorded details are conflicting...

The English Records

Birth record...

Evidence provided by Priscilla Anna Fry in her 1901 book...

 

There is a headstone to Priscilla Hannah Fry in the graveyard at the Frenchay Friends Meeting House. It lies next to the headstone of her parents, Joseph Storrs Fry and Ann.

 

 

 Conclusion...

Priscilla Hannah Fry never married and died childless at the age of 28.

The Australian Records...

This is what Maryann wrote...

 I have been having a close look at the information on the Winterbourne website. There is a lot about the Fry family. Their records show that Priscilla Hannah Fry born 1798 Stapleton, Bristol (second daughter of Joseph Storrs) died and was buried in Frenchay behind the Friends House in 1826.

HOWEVER, a number of Australians have her as the matriarch of the Hillier family who emigrated with her husband John Hillier – wheelwright – on the Eliza in 1840 with her young family after marrying in Horsley in Gloucestershire.

Her official death record here is 1883 in South Australia.

Records in the South Australian archives show her as being the daughter of Joseph Storrs Fry.

 

Maryann sent the following extract from an Australian Colonial Record...

  Unfortunately the ship’s log from the Eliza which brought the Hillier family to Australia in 1840 seems to have been lost.

 

 Conclusion...

Priscilla Hannah Fry was married and had children.

She died at the age of 84.

So, where lies the truth?

The next step would seem to be to find the marriage record at Horsley and see if it confirms Priscilla's parents.

This has now been done, but parental information was not included at that time. See below...

Information from Gloucester Office, obtained 29 February 2012 by Beryl and Gordon Cole, on behalf of the Frenchay Village Museum...

 

    The marriage of Priscilla Fry to John Hillier took place at Horsley Parish Church on 1st June 1820. John signed his name but Priscilla signed with a mark, this usually indicates that the person is unable to write.

   We were informed that the Hilliers were a well known non-conformists family in Horsley. In the Register of names of the Meeting House at Shortwood, in the Parish of Horsley, John Hillier snr and John Hillier jnr are included. John Hillier snr had a pencil note in the Death column - 31 March 1838. Against John Hillier jnr was a pencil note - Australia, Sydney.

   This information does not seem to take the mystery any nearer being solved.

 

   But a further thought is that Priscilla Hillier, nee Fry, was apparently unable to write her name, whereas we have evidence that Priscilla Hannah Fry of Frenchay could write very well. See the entry in Priscilla Anna Fry's book of 1901

If anyone can throw light on this intriguing dilemma, please write to the Webmaster.