Biography contributed by Wendy Napier-Walker
Elizabeth Blake was born Elizabeth Bottomley Mann in 1857 to John Mann and Mary Bottomley, in Halifax, Yorkshire, West Riding, England.
John, Mary and children; Anthony, Elizabeth and Emily arrived in Melbourne, Australia on 28 August 1860 from Liverpool, England on the ship Queen of India. It appears that they paid their own passage to Australia.
A son, Tom Mann was born in 1863 in Ballarat, however he died in 1866 in Ballarat.
It is likely that John and family travelled to Ballarat to the gold-diggings.
The Mann family, with the exception of Anthony, departed Victoria for London in May 1867 on the ship High Flyer.
At the time of the 1871 census Elizabeth was living with her family in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. Elizabeth was 13 years of age and a Worsted Spinner.
On 3 November 1874 Elizabeth Mann (46) a Cook [relationship not known] migrated to Canterbury with Emily a Servant (17), Elizabeth (15) a Servant and Robert Mann arriving in Lyttelton on 21 January 1875 on the ship Lady Jocelyn. They were Colonial Nominated Immigrants nominated by Anthony Mann, Waimate. Anthony was a sibling of Elizabeth and Emily.
Elizabeth married William Blake on 22 April 1878 in Waimate, South Canterbury.
Elizabeth and William had eleven children; John Henry Blake born 1879, Charles Edward Blake birth registered 1881, William Herman Blake birth registered 1881, Evelyn Rose Blake born 1882, Violet Emily Blake born 1884, Winnifred Blake born 1887, Leslie Walter Blake born 1890, Vera May Blake born 1893, George Stanley Blake birth registered 1895, Allan Blake birth registered 1897, Clifford Blake born 1899 – all born in Waimate.
In 1880-81, 1885-86 and 1890 William Blake has a freehold property, ¼ acre, town section 260, Waimate.
The 1893 and 1896 electoral rolls record Elizabeth Blake, married, living in Waimate.
Around 1900 the family moved to Wellington. The 1911 electoral roll records William living at Claremont, Queens Drive, Maranui (Lyall Bay).
The Attestation on 1 October 1915 of son John Henry Blake, WW1 26/956 records Elizabeth Blake as next-of-kin, residing at 30 Bay Road, Kilbirnie. This was also John’s residential address.
In 1919 William and Elizabeth were living at 23 Rodrigo Road, Wellington East. In 1928 the electoral roll records William and Elizabeth living at 56 Burnham Street, Wellington East.
At the time of William and Elizabeth’s deaths they were living at 185 Queens Drive, Lyall Bay, Wellington
William died on 21 July 1932 in Wellington age 83 years. Elizabeth died on 9 November 1941 in Wellington age 84 years. Both are buried in the Karori cemetery, Wellington in Section Public 3, Plot 6C.
Sources
England and Wales Birth records 1837-2006, 4th Quarter, Vol 9A, Page 444 – Elizabeth Bottomley Mann
Prov.Vic.gov.au – Shipping Records
NZ DIA Birth Index
Ancestry Electoral Rolls
Archway, NZ Archives WW1 Military Record John Henry Blake 26/956
Wellington City Council cemetery records online
Wilson Funeral Home, Wellington – death of Elizabeth Blake
Evening Post, 10 November 1941, Page 1, Death Notices, Blake, Elizabeth