Mary Anna Bumby (1811-1862) was a missionary and beekeeper. She was significant for introducing the first honeybees to New Zealand in March 1839.
Mary was born in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England in 1811. In 1838, her brother Reverend John Hewgill Bumby (1808-1840) was appointed as superintendent missionary for the Māngungu Mission House in New Zealand. Mary decided to accompany him as his housekeeper. They travelled on the vessel the James.[1] They travelled from England via Hobart[2] and it was there that Mary acquired two honeybee skep hives. She and her brother arrived in the Hokianga on 13 March 1839[3] and joined the Methodist Māngungu Mission Station on 19 March 1839.[4]
After her brother drowned in the Firth of Thames on 24 June 1840,[5] she accepted of the proposal of Reverend Gideon Smales and married him in 1841 and they settled in a small house in the Hokianga Wesleyan Station.[6]
She died in 1862 at sea on a return voyage to England.
References edit
- ^ "Mary Bumby – Library Blog". Wellington City Libraries. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
- ^ "ENZB - 1852 - Barrett, A. The Life of the Rev. John Hewgill Bumby - CHAPTER V. DEPARTURE AND VOYAGE". www.enzb.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
- ^ "The Sweet History of Mangungu – Up, Down & All Around". Retrieved 2022-03-05.
- ^ "Honey bees brought to New Zealand". NZ History. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ "Current Notes". Papers Past. National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
- ^ Cook, Megan. "First home, 1840". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 5 March 2022.