Daughter of Augustus Tomkins and Mary Tomkins (née West).

Born 25th November 1845 at 15 ½ Serles Place.

Baptised 11th January 1846 at St. Thomas in the Liberty of the Rolls, London.

1851: 15 ½ Serles Place, Liberty of the Rolls, London – at home^[1]

On 12th July 1857 Mary Ann Tomkins was given a book of Christian Lyrics by her Grandfather West.

1861: 15 ½ Serles Place, Liberty of the Rolls, London - Bookbinder^[2]

Mary Ann Tomkins married James Henry Phillips on February 9th 1863 at the parish church in the parish of St Marks, Clerkenwell. At the time of their marriage James was working as a compositor and both parties were resident at 65 White Lion Street.

1871: 67 South Street, Camberwell, Surrey^[3]

Mary Ann appears in this census living with her husband and three children. There are two families living in the property, the other family being that of John Weedon, another Printer-Compositor. 

1881: 244 Southampton Street, Camberwell, Surrey^[4].

Mary Ann appears in this census living with her husband and seven children.

1891: 27 St Georges Street, Camberwell, Surrey^[5].

Mary Ann appears in this census living with her husband and nine children.

1901: 27 St Georges Street, Camberwell, Surrey^[6].

Mary Ann appears in this census  living with her husband and eight children.

Mary Ann became a widow when James Henry Phillips died on the 24th July 1906. James bequeathed all his possessions to his wife^[7].

On the night of 2nd April 1911 Mary Ann Phillips (65), now a widow, was living at 39 Crofton Road, Peckham, London^[8] with her sons Walter Harry and Thomas Arthur Phillips. The entry shows that Mary Ann had 14 children, of whom 11 were still living and 3 had died. At the moment we have only identified 12 children, of whom 1 was an infant death - we assume that there were two additional infant deaths which we have yet to find details for.

In her later years it is thought that Mary Ann lived for some time with her son Wal and his wife Nan^[9], before moving to Folkestone around 1929^[10] to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Bill and Ellen Elizabeth Down, at 25 Ashley Avenue^[11].

Mary Ann died at 25 Ashley Avenue, Cheriton, Folkestone on 20th January 1931 at the age of 85^[12]. The cause of death was recorded as heart failure, bronchitis and arthritis^[13].

Mary Ann was buried with James Henry in the family grave at Camberwell Old Cemetery on 24th January 1931. See Camberwell Old Cemetery - James Henry and Mary Ann Phillips for more information on the grave.