Biography contributed by Wendy Napier-Walker
Ellen Woods was born Ellen Miles on 7 April 1857, in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales to James Miles and his wife Mary Millard.
On 18 January 1875 in Langley, Wiltshire, England Ellen Miles married Noah Page.
A few months later Ellen and Noah Page departed London on 4 May 1875 on the ship James Nicol Fleming. A son, James Nicol Fleming Page was born on board on 29 June. The ship arrived in Port Chalmers, Otago on 4 August 1875.
On 30 May 1876, Noah Page who worked for a Mr Cormack on the Waiareka Railway was injured in a railway accident and had his right leg amputated six inches below his knee. He had a wife and child, and was living in a tent at the Waiareka Bridge. On 1 June 1876 Noah died in hospital from his injuries, aged 23 years. The Waiareka Railway Accidents Relief Fund distributed 100 pounds to Mrs Page.
Noah Page is buried in the Oamaru Old cemetery, General section, Block 105, Plot 2.
On 17 November 1876 Ellen Page married George Woods, a Farmer in Oamaru.
Ellen and George had six sons and one daughter.
Ellen Woods signed the 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition in Waimate.
George Woods died on 8 June 1906, age 58 years in Kapua, Waimate. He is buried in the Waimate Old cemetery, Methodist section, Row 22, Plot 000366.
Following the death of her second husband, Ellen Woods married William Calvert on 15 December 1908 at Kapua, Waimate.
Ellen Calvert died in Waimate on 20 November 1918 [1918 flu epidemic] age 62 years. Ellen is buried in the same plot as George Woods in the Waimate Old cemetery.
At the monthly meeting of the Canterbury Land Board in March 1919 the transfer was granted of 'Section 30a Waimate Settlement, 18 acres 2 perches; Wm Calvert (as executor of estate of Ellen Calvert) to Charles Thomas'.
William remarried in 1920 to Eliza Jane Currie formerly Pratt nee Maberly [grandmother of Miss Nola Luxford] and again in 1947 to Elsie Maria Gore.
William Calvert died on 3 August 1949 age 79 years in Foxton and is buried the Terrace End Cemetery, Palmerston North, Block 007, Plot 021.
Sources
Ancestry Public Family Trees
North Otago Times 30 May 1876 page 2
Oamaru Mail 1 June 1876, page 2
NZ DIA Death Index 1876/538 – Noah Page
Findagrave – Noah Page
NZ DIA Marriage Index 1876/2824 Ellen Page/George Woods
NZ DIA Death Index 1906/3596 George Woods
Findagrave – George Woods
Family Search George Woods Probate Record 1906
NZ DIA Marriage Index 1908/3032 Ellen Woods/William Calvert
NZ DIA Death Index 1918/14634 Ellen Calvert
The Wilson Collection – NZSG Cemetery Fiche
Waimate Daily Advertiser 20 November 1919, page 2 – In Memoriam
Timaru Herald 4 March 1919, page 8 – Canterbury Land Board
Palmerston City Council online cemetery records
Wanganui Chronicle 28 March 1947, page 3