Family History

Mary Preen was born in Leebotwood in the last quarter of 1848.  She was the youngest daughter of Richard and Sarah Preen. She appeared in the 1851 census with the rest of the family, but she was missing in the 1861 census when she would have been 12.

On 25th June 1868 Mary was married in the Primitive Methodist chapel in Castle Court, Shrewsbury.  She was described as Mary Preen, a spinster aged 20, the daughter of Richard Preen grocer, living at Leebotwood. Her groom was William Medlicott,  a bachelor aged 27 and a railway signalman living at Leemor Common, Wistanstow. He was the son of John Medlicott, a miller.

In the 1881 census Mary was living in Leebotwood under her married name of Medlicott. She is listed as having two children, Mary Preen Medlicott, age 9, and Arthur John Medlicott, age 5. In 1891 she and her son Arthur were still living in Leebotwood with two of her brothers. Mary Preen Medlicott lived from 1871/2 to 1938. Arthur Medlicott lived from 1875 to 1930.

Fred Medlicott, the son of Arthur Medlicott, says Mary had two other children with William. These children, Percy and William, were born in the 1870s and both died within a year of being born. Fred Medlicott also says that "William Medlicott went abroad c1875, probably to New Zealand. After a time he stopped writing when his wife was persuaded not to continue answering his letters. This was when Mary returned to Leebotwood."