Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Eliza/Elizabeth Cunninghame was born on 15 July 1839 in Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland – the daughter of Robert Cunninghame, a coal miner, and Mary Wilson.
She married William Samson, also a coal miner, on 7 October 1859 in Riccarton and they had three children, one who died in infancy, before they emigrated to New Zealand about 1864.
A further nine children were born after their arrival and the family farmed at Wangaloa in South Otago where Elizabeth signed the suffrage petition.
They suffered the death of three of their children during 1894 and 1895, one from consumption.
Elizabeth died at her home on 17 August 1899, she is buried in the Old Kaitangata Cemetery with her three children.
Her obituary said she 'was much respected, and had a large number of friends.'
William died in 1903, he is buried in the Kaitangata Northern Cemetery with another three of their children.
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
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