suffrage_petition
Surname: 
Le Mercier
Given names: 
A
Given address: 
Gloucester street
Sheet No: 195
Town/Suburb: 
Central Christchurch
City/Region: 
Christchurch
Notes: 

Contributed by Clare Cramond

Amy Louise Le Mercier was born at St Pancras, London in 1868 to Latton Henry and Mary Anne (Baldrey) Le Mercier. She had an older sister Alice and several younger brothers and sisters.

In 1883, the sisters emigrated to New Zealand as assisted immigrants, giving their occupations as 'housemaids'. They sailed on the SS British Queen to Lyttleton. Other family members seem to have come to New Zealand around the same time, but they were not on the same ship. They were living in Gloucester Street in Christchurch by 1890. Amy was taking music examinations and performing at events such as weddings.

Her parents both died in 1891 and Amy was still living in Gloucester Street when she signed the petition in 1893. Two years later, the Hawkes Bay Herald, describing her as a 'successful teacher of music,' reported that she had decided to take up residence in Napier for 'climatic reasons'. 

In June 1900, Amy married Robert Thomas Walker, who was the editor of the Hawkes Bay Herald. He had been widowed two years earlier and had two daughters aged ten and six years.

The following year, two major events occurred; Amy gave birth to their daughter Bessie Annie Walker and her husband died after an illness. Amy continued living in Napier and teaching music. She was still there in 1904.

Ten years later, Amy was living in Australia. Her brother, Charles Henry Le Mercier who was an executor on her husband’s will, had moved there around the turn of the century.

Amy died in 1915, at Kew, Victoria, Australia, aged 46 years.

Sources

England Census, 1871, London, St Pancras, Kentish Town

"New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSYT-V6N : Wed Nov 01 13:54:42 UTC 2023), Entry for Amy Le Mercier, 11 Oct 1883.

Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/  Press, Volume L, Issue 8633, 7 November 1893, Page 3

Papers Past  https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ Hawkes Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 10137, 29 October 1895, Page 2

Papers Past  https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ Hawkes Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12897, 25 October 1904, Page 2

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

No comments have been posted about A Le Mercier

What do you know?