Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Louisa Martha Davey was born in 1838 in London – the daughter of Robert Thomas George Davey, a grocer, & Martha Bales.
She married James Iles, a cabinet maker, on September 15th 1857 at Holy Trinity Church, Bath.
They had 3 sons before the family emigrated to Otago in 1861 on the Chile.
They had a further 10 children, 2 who died in infancy after their arrival.
After a couple of years in Dunedin the family moved to Oamaru before returning to Dunedin in 1880.
When Louisa signed the suffrage petition they were living in Leith Street.
They celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary in 1906.
Louisa died at their home on August 7th 1912 & James died shortly after on August 22nd, they are buried in the family grave in the Old Oamaru Cemetery.
Louisa’s obituary said she “was one of the founders of St. Luke’s Church in Oamaru”. “She was noted for her kindness and sympathy, and she did many a good and kindly act in a quiet and friendly way. She will be greatly missed by a large circle of friends both in Oamaru and in Dunedin”.
Sources
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