Mary Ann, John and Mary Ann’s fourth child, born March 1849, was baptised at St. Andrew’s Old Church, Hove on 20th May 1849.
Leaving England for America
In October 1860, when she was 12 years of age, Mary Ann accompanied her mother, father, and six of her siblings on their journey to New York.
Early Days in America
I am still trying to ascertain the Harmer family’s movements during their first few years in America. We know from the 1880 U.S. Federal Census that Mary Ann gave birth to a ninth child, Ada Harmer, at New York (or Hudson, Harrison, N.J.) in Oct 1862, and that she was baptised in March 1863 at Newark, New Jersey. 1862/3 therefore seems to be the time that the family settled in the Newark area.
John Harmer Snr. is listed in Holbrook’s street directory for Newark, New Jersey for 1869 at ‘h Pike rd n Bridge, South Newark’, with the occupation of ‘Ornamental Plasterer’. This is probably therefore where Mary Ann grew up.
Marriage
The U.S. Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 hold a record of the marriage of Mary ‘N’ Harmer, aged 21, born in England with a father named John Harmer. The wedding took place at the First German Presbyterian Church in Newark, N.J., on 14th November 1870, and the groom was Matthew J. Seron, 25, born in Connecticut, the son of Samuel Seron.
