Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Eliza/Elizabeth Heron was born on 28 October 1824 in Culross, Perthshire, Scotland –the daughter of James Heron, a farmer, and Rachel Harrow.
She married Charles Mercer, also a farmer, on 15 May 1846 in Tulliallan, Fife and they had 9 children before the family emigrated to Otago in 1863 on the Arima - their last child was born after their arrival.
The family settled at The Glen, Mornington in Dunedin where they 'engaged in the dairy business'.
Charles died at their home in 1878.
Eliza signed the suffrage petition in Filleul Street, possibly while visiting her daughter Jessie. (See 53 Jessie Christie).
She died on 30 March 1900 at her son’s home in Christchurch - she is buried with Charles in the Northern Cemetery, Dunedin.
Her obituary said she 'continued active and robust till the end'.
Sources
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
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/
Scotlands People https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
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