Edith Powell

Signed family name

Powell

Signed given name

Edith

Given address

Maori Hill

Sheet number

159

Town/Suburb

North Dunedin

City/Region

Dunedin

Notes

Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley

Edith Broomfield Powell was born on 4 August 1869 in Rathangan, Edenderry, Ireland – the daughter of Joseph Powell, a gardener, and Maria Broomfield. (See 159 Maria Powell)

She moved with her family to Wales before they emigrated to Otago in 1876 on the Timaru.

The family settled in Maori Hill, Dunedin and when Edith signed the suffrage petition they were living in Water St and she was working as a milliner.

Edith married George Frederick Clulee in 1899 and they had one son.

In 1910 George was charged with 'failing to provide adequate means of maintenance for his wife'. Edith said that '4 ½ years ago the husband sold the house and went to Australia” she had 'supported herself and her child ever since'. A maintenance order of 10s per week was granted.

They divorced in 1912 and Edith was granted custody of their son.

She then went to England where she married Archibald Bisset Smith, a master mariner in the Merchant Navy in 1915.

Archibald went down with his ship when it sank during a sea battle in the Atlantic and he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross in 1919.

Edith died in 1951 and is buried in the St Mary & St Hugh Churchyard, Old Harlow, Essex.