Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Elizabeth Forsyth was born in 1862 in Surrey, England – the daughter of Charles Forsyth, a gardener, and Lucy Jane Hazell. (See 104 Mrs Chas Forsyth)
She emigrated to Otago with her family in 1863 on the Crimea and they settled at Tokomairiro where their farm 'Arnha' was purchased.
Elizabeth married James Bruce, a farmer, on 30 November 1882 in the Milton parish and they had six children.
When Elizabeth signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Milton.
James died in 1941 and Elizabeth died on 14 December 1944, they are buried together in the Fairfax Cemetery, Milton.
Elizabeth’s obituary said 'she took a keen interest in the Presbyterian Church and was for years a member of the P.W.M.U. Of a kindly nature, she was highly esteemed by all who knew her.'
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Presbyterian Research Centre https://www.presbyterian.org.nz/archives/