Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mellony Halls was born on 3 July 1836 in Plymouth, Devon, England – the daughter of William Longdon Halls, a tea dealer, and Mary Ann Brooks.
She emigrated to Victoria, Australia accompanied by her younger sister Victoria in 1859 on the Royal Bride.
Mellony had a daughter in 1866 (See 63 Williamina H Sears) before she moved to New Zealand & married George (Tom) Sears in 1868.
George was the driver of a Cobb and Co coach. They had two children - their only son died, aged 14, in 1887.
By that time George was working as a barman and when Mellony signed the suffrage petition the family were living at Langdon Villa, William St, Roslyn, Dunedin.
George died at their home in 1893, he is buried with their son in the Southern Cemetery.
Mellony later moved to Christchurch where her daughters were living - she died on 16 October 1917 and is buried in the Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch.
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
Free BDM https://www.freebmd.org.uk
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
BDM Victoria https://online.justice.vic.gov.au
Public Record Office Victoria https://prov.vic.gov.au
Christchurch City Council http://heritage.christchurchcitylibraries.com
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