Mary Ann was born to Mary and Richard Light in St Luke, Finsbury, London, Middlesex, on the 2nd January 1830 and was baptised later that year on 14th April at St Luke's in Old St, Finsbury, London. The next census details available tell us that at 20 years old, in 1851, Mary was living in Islington at 31 Buckingham St with her mother, now a widow, and her sister, Emily. Occupation is a Milliner. In 1861, Mary is living with her sister at 12 Denmark Road in Islington where Mary is working as a shop assistant. Her age is recorded as 26 despite being born in 1830. Just ten years later, Mary is still living with Emily but in Greenwich, Kent, at 14 Royal Hill where Mary is working as a business assistant. Documents from 1881, and the last census available before her death, reveal Mary was now living at Belmont South View in Brading, Hampshire, as a lodging housekeeper with her sister, Emily. Only nine years later, Mary dies on the 10th March 1890 in Heene, Worthing, West Sussex. She moved to Worthing some years earlier with Emily to run a lodging house, 'Carton House' on Rowlands Road. Interestingly, organist, Arthur Boyse, is a lodger with Emily in 1891.
