updated September 2018
Mary Ann Simmonds was the daughter of William Simmonds and Elizabeth Wheatley or Page, she was born in Nagpore, India in 1830.
Mary Ann's father was a serjeant in the Madras European regiment, he died in 1835 when Mary Ann was just 8 years old. Mary Ann's mother died, 6 months later, a few days after giving birth to William Simmonds son. Mary Ann's new brother was named William Simmonds after his father.
Mary Ann and her sister, Caroline, were sent to the Madras female asylum (orphanage) after the death of both of their parents. Baby William was sent to the male asylum.
Mary Ann married Job Hargaves or Hargreaves, a private in the 1st Madras Fusiliers, in 1844 at the age of 17. Mary Ann and Job had at least one daughter, Ellen, born in Bellary in 1851. Job Hargraves died in 1853.
I found Job's place and year of birth on the muster rolls for 1847. His previous occupation and date of death came from his service record. Both these documents are in the British Library, India Office reading room.
Widow, Mary Ann married again in 1857 in Fort St.George to Colour Serjeant Joseph Odgers of the 1st Fusiliers. Mary Ann and Joseph had at least one child, Clara Eveline.
The family must have travelled to New Zealand because Mary Ann and Clara died there, this discovery was made through a DNA match on ancestry.co.uk
Mary Ann's father and first husband were both from England but because her mother was Indian or Anglo Indian, Mary Ann was also Anglo Indian or Indo Briton.