suffrage_petition
Surname: 
Best
Given names: 
Anna Woods
Given address: 
Collingwood St
Sheet No: 26
Town/Suburb: 
Freemans Bay
City/Region: 
Auckland
Notes: 

Biographical information provided by Bridget Gerrie for the He Tohu exhibition:

Anna Woods Ballard was born about 1830 in Ireland. In 1857 she married Edward Best, a Wesleyan Methodist Minister. Anna’s father and some of her brothers and uncles were also ministers of this faith. Anna and Edward had 14 children, all of whom were born in Ireland. Eight of their daughters and one son travelled with them to New Zealand, arriving on the Wanganui into Port Chalmers on 7 December 1879. Anna and her family led a mobile life, travelling around the country to support her husband’s work. 

Anna died in 1910, aged 80.

Further information

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

3 comments have been posted about Anna Woods Best

What do you know?

Bridget Gerrie

Posted: 04 Nov 2022

Please amend your entry - you have named her husband incorrectly.
As printed in the obituary, Anna Woods Ballard was the daughter of Thomas Ballard and married EDWARD BEST.
I have not been able to find any confirmation at all that she was his second wife.

Peggy Haworth, a great-great-granddaughter of Anna.

Posted: 17 Aug 2018

Edward's and Anna's graves are at Purewa Cemetery and Crematorium, Block D-11-140. As you go along the one-way road between blocks D and E, a few metres after a green sign and rubbish bin on the right, then on the left there is a row with a tall headstone for 'B and A Vialoux'. This is the row to go down. The line of headstones reads Vialoux - Hawkins - Brain (3 graves) - Goold - Fort - Best.

Bridget Gerrie

Posted: 14 Aug 2018

I am the person who supplied the original information, and there are a couple of errors in this entry.

Her name is Anna Woods (with an s) Ballard or Best.

Please amend - Anna's husband and the father of her children was Edward Best, not Thomas).

I was most interested t see she was Edward Best's second wife, I didn't know that. I'm thrilled to have some more information to follow up!