Martha Mais (née Cleland)

Martha Mais nee Cleland, wife of John Mais (q.v., merchant and plantation owner) and owner of enslaved people in St Andrew, Jamaica.

1. Martha Cleland, daughter of John Mark Cleland and Elizabeth Mary Cleland, was born 22/07/1804 and baptised 03/10/1804 in St Andrew, Jamaica.

2. John Mais married Martha Cleland, most likely in Jamaica, in 1827 or 1828. They had 6 children together between 1829 and 1836. The first 5 were baptised in St Andrew, Jamaica and the youngest child at All Souls, Marylebone, London in 1837 (where the father's address is given as 64 Mortimer Street, London, and his occupation as merchant).

3. Martha died in London and was buried at Kensal Green All Souls 22/04/1841 age 36. Two addresses were given on her burial record: Kingston, Jamaica and 1 Mornington Crescent, St Pancras. It's not clear whether she had been living in London continuously from 1837. Two of her children (Amelia age 8 and Ernest age 4) were pupils of Susan Knaggs (wife of surgeon and apothecary John Knaggs) at 1 Mornington Crescent at the time of the 1841 census (June 1841). Two other children (Leslie age 11 and Winchester age 7) were pupils at a school in Bury, Odiham, Hampshire in the same census.

4. John Mais had fathered at least 6 children by 2 different women before marrying Martha. One of these was Edward Mais (q.v.).

5. Her eldest son John Leslie Mais attended Gaius College, Cambridge and became a clergyman and schoolmaster in Jamaica. Winchester was a miner in New Zealand in the 1880s and 1896 and died in an asylum in Claremont, Western Australia in 1914. Ernest Cleland was a registered voter in Bruce, Ortego, New Zealand in 1862.

1. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online].

2. Howard Mais, 'John Mais of Bristol (1747-1798) and his descendants: a summary' http://www.newtons-online.net/histories/Maisesincejohnn..pdf [accessed 26/01/2011]. Familysearch.org batch nos. I04151-6, I03863-1l I04151-6, I03817-8. Ancestry.com, London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 [database online].

3. Ancestry.com, London, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1980 [database online]. 1841 census online.

4. See separate entries for John Mais and Edward Mais.

5. Ancestry.com, Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900 [database online]. Ancestry.com, New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981 [database online]. Ancestry.com, Australia Death Indix, 1787-1985 [database online]. Howard Mais, 'John Mais of Bristol (1747-1798) and his descendants: a summary' http://www.newtons-online.net/histories/Maisesincejohnn..pdf [accessed 26/01/2011].

We are grateful to Howard Mais for his assistance in compiling this entry.