Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Eliza/Elizabeth Ronald was born on 8 July 1863 in New Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland – the daughter of William Ronald and Mary McKnight Wilson.
She emigrated to Otago in 1883 on the Wellington and she married James Donald, a carpenter, the following year.
When Elizabeth signed the suffrage petition she was living at Purekireki in the Owaka Valley.
In 1896 James petitioned for a dissolution of marriage – the co-respondent being Charles James Sutton, a local farmer.
The following year the case came before the court.
James had gone to Western Australia in 1894 to work, Elizabeth 'who was quite willing that he should go, was left behind on his small farm at Purekireki'. He came back in September 1895 when he was told that Elizabeth had 'called a clearing sale'. He came home and “on arriving in Dunedin he met his wife, and he found he was with child.”
Elizabeth eventually admitted that she had been unfaithful with Charles Sutton and James 'paid her passage to Wellington'. The divorce was granted.
Elizabeth’s son James was born in October 1896 – on the 1911 electoral roll Elizabeth was living with Charles Sutton in Auckland.
Charles died in 1918, he is buried in the Waikumete Cemetery.
Elizabeth married again in Te Kuiti in 1924 to Norman Calman Crighton, a gardener.
She died on 20 November 1938 in New Plymouth and Norman died in 1952, they are buried together in the Te Henui Cemetery, New Plymouth.
Sources
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Scotlands People https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
New Plymouth District Council https://www.newplymouthnz.com/