See also Caversham research databases
Originally transcribed as Nellie Bowers. Also signed as 50 N. Bower
Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Helen/Nellie Bower was born in New Zealand in 1870 – the daughter of John Bower, a grocer, and Elizabeth Baxter. (See 38 Elisabeth Bower)
In 1881 the family were living in Edinburgh and Nellie’s mother was a widow.
The family travelled back to Otago on the the Westland arriving in January 1882 and they settled in Dunedin.
When she signed the suffrage petition Nellie was living with her family in Park St, Kensington.
She married John James, a telegraphist, on 28 April 1896 at Kuri Bush south of Dunedin and they had two children.
John later worked as a postmaster in Naseby and Waipawa before the family returned to Dunedin where John became the assistant postmaster.
John died in 1927 and Ellen died on 18 March 1937, they are buried together in the Anderson Bay Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
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