Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Faith Winifred Churchward was born in 1845 in Devonport, England – the daughter of James Churchward, a commission broker, and Louisa Bond.
Faith worked as a housemaid for the family of Robert Scott, a retired Captain in the Royal Navy.
In January 1881 Faith arrived in Otago on the Piako. She had travelled as a saloon passenger with the Scott family working as a nursemaid.
Faith married Richard Russell, a widower, in 1885; they had no children. Faith and Richard lived in Bradshaw St, South Dunedin and Richard worked as a coal merchant until he retired in 1906. They move to Abbotsford after Richard’s retirement where Faith died on 31 March 1909.
She is buried in the Southern Cemetery with Richard’s first wife. Richard died in 1922 in Geraldine and he is buried in the Geraldine Cemetery.
Sources
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Free BDM https://www.freebmd.org.uk
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Timaru District Council https://www.timaru.govt.nz
