Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Elizabeth Wilson was born about 1840 in Scotland, the daughter of James Wilson, a farmer.
She married Richard Russell Donaldson on 2 August 1868 in Edinburgh, Scotland. They had a daughter in 1869 and soon after they emigrated to Otago.
They settled in Dunedin and had a further four children. Richard worked as an inspector of nuisances for the Dunedin City Council.
When Elizabeth signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Rattray St, Dunedin.
Over the next four years three of their children died – Aline aged 20 in 1893, Stuart aged 16 in 1895 and Richard aged 15 in 1897.
Elizabeth died at her home in Waverley, Dunedin on 11 October 1924 and Richard died in 1930.
They are buried with their children in the Southern 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