'Mrs John Shields' has been crossed off the top of the sheet, so this may be the same person.
Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Elizabeth Miller was born about 1824 in Scotland. She married John Shields about 1844 and their daughter Agnes was born in 1846 in Edinburgh.
The family sailed for Otago in 1848 on the Blundell and for five years they lived at 'Shieldhill Farm' at Andersons Bay near Dunedin.
'After a year in Dunedin, they next removed to Inch Clutha' and in 1857 the family settled in Puerua.
They had, at least, a further eight children before John drowned in 1865.
Elizabeth remained at Purerua where she signed the suffrage petition – for some reason this entry has been crossed out.
She died at her home on 13 August 1907 and is buried in the Romahapa Cemetery.
Her obituary said she 'was greatly esteemed and loved by all with whom she came in contact, and her kindly manner and cheery smile will be sadly missed by her many friends'.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
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/
Going Abroad http://www.ngaiopress.com/drhocken.htm
