Elizth Bethell

Biographical information provided by Dawn Chambers for the He Tohu exhibition:

Elizabeth Bethell was born at Enford, Wiltshire in 1840, the daughter of Henry Bethell, a brewer, and his wife Anne Spencer Mason. After the death of her father Elizabeth moved with her mother and two younger siblings to Clifton, Bristol. Elizabeth and her younger sister, Emily, lived with their mother in Clifton until Anne died in 1890.

In February 1892 the spinster sisters, aged 52 and 42 years, departed from London on the ship Echuca for Melbourne, Australia. After a stormy Tasman crossing on the steamship Mararoa they arrived at Port Chalmers in 1893. They travelled around New Zealand before returning to Sydney on the Rotomahana. Elizabeth likely signed the petition during her three week stay in the south island. 

Elizabeth died, aged 76 years in Wales 'from shock caused by burns'. 'Whilst she was sitting on a public seat her clothing caught fire. Neither she nor her sister, who was with her, discovered the fire till they resumed their walk. It is assumed that a long chiffon coat she was wearing came into contact with a smouldering match or a lighted cigar end on the ground.'