C Patten

Biography contributed by Rose Webber

Clara Patten was 17-years-old when she signed the Women’s Suffrage petition in Wesport along with her mother Annie and older sister Ettie. Clara was born in April 1876 in Charleston, where all her siblings were also born and she was the second child of Annie (nee Hardley) and Edward Patten, a miner. Sometime before 1885 the family had moved to Westport where her father’s occupation was listed in the electoral roll as ‘carter’.

Around 1902 the Patten family, except Edward, had joined the extended Hardley family who had moved north and several large family photos were taken at the time in Hawera. Edward lived out his days back on the West Coast and is buried in the Orowaiti cemetery, Westport.

In 1904 Clara married John Eneas Campbell in Hawera, Taranaki when she was 28 and he was 35. John worked as a marine engineer for the Union Steamship Company on the SS Tarawera and SS Moura amongst others. The Tarawera was a passenger ship sailing between Australia and New Zealand which would have required him to be away from home.

Clara and John had 5 children, Mollie (1905), Maisie (1909), Mary (1910), James  (1911) and Nancy (1913). By 1919 the family was living in Waihi Rd in Hawera where John had left the sea and was listed in the 1919 Electoral Roll as a farmer.

Sadly Clara and John lost two of their daughters. Mollie died in 1925 aged 20 and Nancy died in 1941 aged 28.

John died in 1943 aged 73 and Clara continued living in Waihi Rd with son James and his wife until her death in 1964 aged 88. She is buried in Hawera cemetery with John and daughter Nancy.