• Born 21 July 1804, daughter of John Dougan (1765-1826) and Clarissa Squire (1780-1830).
• Sister of Emily Dougan (1806-1877) and aunt of Emily Elliott (1839-1924).
• In 1826, completed and sent a government report on slavery in the West Indies written by her father before his death.
• A letter to her from her father's old friend James Stephen can be read here.
• Married (on 11 March 1833 at St Pancras Old Church, London) Richard Walkden (d.1880) (his second marriage).
• Emigrated to Australia on board the first Australian voyage of the S.S. Great Britain in 1852.
• Later travelled to New Zealand to stay with her daughter Emily (who married Charles Strickland Mackie).
• Died 18 January 1881, aged 76/77. Buried in Barrhill cemetery, New Zealand.

Mary's life was fascinating, impressive and a little bit tragic. She was born into a wealthy plantation-owning family that lost everything in its opposition to slavery. She completed her father's abolitionist work after his death. Then she emigrated to Australia on the first antipodean voyage of the S.S. Great Britain in 1852. She ended up buried in a very modest grave in New Zealand.

Her middle name surely derives from her father's close friendship with the Stephen family. The Wilberforce and Venn families also had close ties to the Stephen family, and these names also crop up in descendants of John Dougan.

Children

Step-daughter (from Richard's first marriage):

1. Mary Ann Sarah Walkden

With Richard Walkden (d.1880):

1. Anna Venn Walkden (1834-1837).
2. John Venn Walkden (1835-1888)
3. Richard Cecil Walkden (1838-1915)
4. Agnes Walkden (1838-1839)
5. Frederick Dougan Walkden (1837?-1900)
6. Francis Julius Matthew Walkden (b.1840)
7. George King Walkden (1843-1914)
8. Clarence Parland Walkden (1844-1908)
9. Basil (Solperooks?) Walkden (1846-1912)
10. Emily Mary Walkden (b.1847)

(With thanks to Laurel Rockliff who forwarded this information from Tina Woodhead and from Mary Kinsman's book)

S.S. Great Britain

Brunel's famous iron steam ship the S.S. Great Britain (now refurbished and displayed in Bristol, UK) made its maiden voyage to New York in 1845. Its first voyage to Australia was in 1852. According to researcher Dorothy Wettenhall (see here), the passenger manifests, published in "Is Yours an S. S. "Great Britain" Family?", list the following Walkdens as being on this voyage: "Basil, Cecil, Clarence, Francis, Frederick, George, John, Emily, Mr. Richard Walkden, Mrs. Walkden, Miss Walkden [the latter being Mary Ann?]".

Gravestone

Gravestone in Barrhill cemetery, New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Laurel Rockliff.