Biography contributed by Gordon Ell (great-grandson)
Emma Litchfield (nee Lodder) was born on 31 July 1853 in Riwaka, near Nelson. Her parents William Lodder and Anna Hayter came to Nelson on the first ships of The New Zealand Company: William in 1841 on the Whitby and Anna in 1842 on the Fifeshire. They came as servants to the surveyor Samuel Stephens, and his wife.
Emma grew up in Riwaka helping her father on their farm, driving bullocks and harvesting potatoes. William also ran a ferry across the Motueka River. She had four sisters. One sister Lucy, was the grandmother of Sir Wallace Rowling, Prime Minister of New Zealand.
On 4 December 1877, aged 24, she married Alfred Litchfield, of Blenheim. He was a farmer and his homestead was called Livermere, after the place in Norfolk that his mother had come from. Emma records this as her address in the petition. Alfred’s father F.J. Litchfield, was the first mayor of Blenheim.
Emma had six children. Three died as adults in the influenza epidemic of 1918, and one died in an accident.
Emma died on 2 September 1927.
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Emma Litchfield (Gordon Ell)
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions