suffrage_petition
Surname: 
Tonks
Given names: 
Susan
Given address: 
Webb Street
Sheet No: 421
Town/Suburb: 
Te Aro
City/Region: 
Wellington

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

1 comment has been posted about Susan Tonks

What do you know?

Penelope Holden nee Richards

Posted: 14 Aug 2018

Susan Tonks was born Susannah Ann Saunders Spencer on 9 November 1842, in Bury, Lancashire, daughter of Private Edmund Spencer and Ann Frost Saunders. The family arrived in New Zealand on 4th January 1847 on the ‘Sir Robert Peel’ with 65th Regiment.

Susan married Enoch Tonks a Brick maker, on 9th December 1858, they had fifteen children.

Spent several years in Otago Goldfields. On 18 November 1893 Susan handed in her nomination papers for General Election. Susan ‘took an active part in philanthropic movements, especially in social work, taking part in the first meeting of the Salvation Army rescue work for women. She was also specially active in helping to secure the franchise for women, and after the franchise was given was the first woman to nominate a candidate for Parliament … HD Bell. … active in connection with the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, Y.M.C.A. work, and was an active member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church.