Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Ann Elizabeth, known as Elizabeth, Ashwell was born in Leicestershire, England in 1855 – the daughter of Harry Ashwell, a general machinist, & Elizabeth Arblaster.
In 1871, 14 year old Elizabeth was living with her widowed mother & siblings in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. Also boarding with the family was 21 year old Robert James Tomlinson, an ironmonger’s assistant.
Elizabeth & Robert married later that year on May 9th & their daughter Elizabeth was born the following year.
What happened to Robert is unclear – in 1877 Elizabeth married William Arbuckle Towers, an ironmonger.
They emigrated to New Zealand & settled in Dunedin where they had 5 sons, the eldest 2 who died in infancy.
William died in 1889 when their youngest child was one year old - he is buried in the Southern Cemetery.
Elizabeth remarried in 1891 to George Henry Sismey, a seaman, & they had a daughter in 1893.
When Elizabeth signed the suffrage petition they were living in Leith Street.
Soon after this the family moved to Auckland where, in the 1910’s they ran a boarding house.
George died in 1932 & Elizabeth died at her daughter’s home on June 3rd1938, they are buried together in the Hillsborough Cemetery.