suffrage_petition
Surname: 
Rapley
Given names: 
Isabella Louisa
Given address: 
Ball St Wanganui
Sheet No: 478
Town/Suburb: 
Whanganui
City/Region: 
Whanganui
Notes: 

Biography contributed by Joyce Hislop

Isabella Louisa (known as Bella) Clark was born around 1864. She married William George Rapley, a labourer on 11 May 1886. 

Bella and William lived in the Selwyn district where William’s parents William and Kezia lived. By 1893 Bella and William had moved to Wanganui where William was farming. Their children were: Ellen Jane (1887-1980), Lucy Kezia (1888-1971), Isabella Matilda (1891-1950), Emily Edith (1893-?), Hilda Annie (1897-?) and Florence Mary (1904-1993).

On the morning of 11 November 1910 William had rose about 4am as usual to get his cows in to milk, leaving Bella in bed. Bella got up at 5.15 and went into a shed at the back of the house to get an apron before going to the milking and there she saw the body of her husband hanging from a beam in the shed. She sent for a neighbour who cut the body down and the Doctor who pronounced William dead. No reason can be given for the deceased taking his own life, only that he complained of not being able to sleep. —Taken from an article in the Wanganui Chronicle, 12 November 1910.

Bella was therefore left with a family of six girls. She moved from the farm in Westmere into the city and lived there until she died on 12 January 1955 aged 91 years. Both Isabella and William are buried in Heads Road Whanganui Cemetery.

Sources

BDMs

Paper’s Past

Electoral Rolls

Cemetery Records

NB: Isabella is the daughter-in-law of Kezia Rapley (Page 217)

Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.

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