Wife of James Rebbeck & Grandmother of George Rebbeck RN

It was the discovery of Maria's Last Will and Testament that set me on my voyage of discovery through the history of the Rebbeck family. We have no pictures of Maria and know very little about her life. She married James Rebbeck in 1812 and they had 11 children.

William Geary b 1814,
Mary Ann b 1817
Charles b 1819
Maria b 1821
Eliza b 1822
Elizabeth b 1824
George b 1826
Luke b 1829
Henry James b 1831
Walter (died in infancy) b 1833
Ellen (died aged 5 -6) b 1835

Her eldest son, William Geary Rebbeck employed as a Maltster, was the father of George and we know of his many descendants. Sons Charles and Henry also have recorded descendants but of Luke there is only a marriage record. No information is available of the others.

James (and his eldest son) must have worked for the Salisbury brewery. On his retirement he and Maria were given accommodation in Hussey's Almshouses.
These houses were much sought after and although describe as "for the poor and needy" the applicants had also to be "respectable and worthy". The charter for Hussey's provided for widows and widowers to remain in their houses following the death of their partners and a pension was also provided.

Maria lived on in Hussey's until 1878, her will was written in 1876 leaving all her worldly goods to her sons William and Luke. Strangely there is no mention of either Charles or Henry who both outlived her.

Thanks to correspondence from Kerry Collins in Australia we now have a little more information. Maria had a sister, Ann and a brother George. Kerry is descended from Ann Geary Cromey. The story of Ann's daughter Louisa Dickett Collins who emigrated in 1851 is recorded "After the Marion"