Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Elizabeth Mannington was born in 1861 in Kent, England – the daughter of William Mannington, a grocer, and Martha Roswell.
In 1881 Elizabeth was living in Eastbourne working as a draper’s assistant. Also working in the same establishment was 21 year old Ebenezer Hull, also a draper’s assistant.
In 1885 Elizabeth and Ebenezer married in Eastbourne, and soon after emigrated to New Zealand.
Their son Hugh was born in 1886 but died in February 1887 in Invercargill. Another son Reginald was born the following year.
Ebenezer died in January 1889 in Timaru. He is buried in the Timaru Cemetery.
After Ebenezer’s death Elizabeth moved to Palmerston in North Otago with Reginald. He died on Christmas Day 1889 and is buried in the Palmerston Cemetery.
When Elizabeth signed the suffrage petition she was living in Palmerston with her sister Hannah, working as a milliner.
She later moved back to Timaru and then to Wellington where she died on November 24th 1941. She was cremated at Karori Cemetery.
Sources
Waitaki District Council Cemeteries
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions