Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Eliza Mackeril Martin was born in the Tokomairiro district in 1867 – the daughter of John Martin, a farmer, and Jessie Sim Young. (See 118 Mrs J Martin)
When she signed the suffrage petition she was living with her family at 'Clover Hill' near Milton.
She married William Patterson, a blacksmith, on 13 December 1899 and they had two sons.
William died at their home in Milton in August 1909 and, just 2 ½ months later, their five-year-old son Colin also died.
Eliza remained in Milton until, in later life, she went to live with her remaining son in Waikouaiti.
She died in Dunedin on 6 June 1949 and is buried with William and Colin in the Fairfax Cemetery, Milton.
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
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/