Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Euphemia Lonnie was born about 1840 in Scotland. She married Robert Bennet, a tailor, in Glasgow on 18 July 1862 and they had two daughters before they emigrated to Otago in 1865 on the Peter Denny.
They had a further 11 children after their arrival, three who died in infancy and they lived in Dunedin.
In 1891 Euphemia applied to the court for a prohibition order against Robert. She said that 'her husband was never sober. He had lost his business, property, and situation through drink. He had been a victim of intemperance for 15 years'. The order was granted for 12 months.
When Euphemia signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Leith St although she signed in nearby Frederick St.
Robert died in 1903 and Euphemia died on 12 April 1933, they are buried in the family grave 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
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