suffrage_petition
Surname: 
Chamberlain
Given names: 
Hannah
Given address: 
Woodville
Sheet No: 503
Town/Suburb: 
Woodville
City/Region: 
Hawke's Bay
Notes: 

Biography contributed by Mavis Millar — Hannah Freeman (Chamberlain) was a sister to Louisa Freeman (Moffat/Swainson), my great-grandmother

Hannah Esther Chamberlain (nee Freeman) was born on 20 February 1852 in London, England. Her parents, Stephen Freeman and Hannah Esther Garlin, were married on 14 August 1849 at St Clement Danes, London, England.

Her father, Stephen Freeman, immigrated to New Zealand 21 September 1857 on The Southern Cross. The ship’s record stated that he was a dentist.

Her mother, Hannah Esther Freeman (nee Garlin), a tailoress, immigrated to New Zealand on The Minerva which left London, England on 15 November 1860. She had with her, their three children — Hannah, aged 8; Louisa, aged 6 and a son, Stephen, aged 4. The ship arrived at Napier on 29 February 1861. Then Hannah and the three children joined Stephen, at Napier — what a great family reunion!

Stephen and Hannah Freeman had six more children born in Napier.

Grace Emma Freeman (Munro) b 1862; George Henry Freeman b 1864; William Thomas Freeman b 1866 but died in 1867; Alexander Abercrombie Freeman b 1868; Emily Jane Freeman (Swainson) b 1871; and Frederick Freeman b 1874.

Hannah Esther Freeman (nee Garlin) died on 19 August 1886 aged 57 years, and Stephen Freeman died on 25 April 1922 aged 91 years, both at Napier.

Hannah Esther Freeman (born in 1852 at London, England) was educated in Napier. She was married at Napier on 20 February 1875 to Charles Chamberlain who was born on 26 November 1849 at Motueka, New Zealand. Here Hannah was recorded as aged 23years, a dressmaker, and Charles was recorded as aged 25yrs, a Railway Official.

Hannah and Charles Chamberlain had 11 children — John Edward, born 1875; Charles Nelson, born 1878; Mabel Caroline, born 1880; Olive Maud, born 1882; Ivy Emily born1884-died 1886; Martin Henry, born 1885; Horace Alexander, born 1887; Wallace Napier, born 1889 and Ivy Esther, born 1891. They were born at Napier except Martin who was born at Paengaroa, Bay of Plenty. Then Leonard Oswell, born in 1893 and Una Clarence, born in 1895 – were both born at Woodville. This confirms the entry in the Women’s Suffrage Petition in 1893 that Hannah lived in Woodville.

Hannah and the Freeman family grieved over the sudden death at Tologa Bay, of their sister, Louisa Moffat (partner to Samuel Deighton Swainson) on 26 May 1889. She fell from a horse and died from a punctured lung, only one day after giving birth to a son. The family sent their young sister, Emily Jane Freeman to care for Louisa’s children. Emily Jane Freeman married Samuel Deighton Swainson on 7 July 1890 at Wairoa, New Zealand and started their own big family.

In 1892, news came to the Freeman family that their sister, Grace Emma Freeman, who had married to Duncan Munro in 1885, had died in Tauranga in tragic circumstances. Her husband had inflicted wounds using a flat iron and rolling pin to her (age 30) and their children, George (age 6), John (aged 4), James Alexander (age 3) and Lily (age 7 months) on 9 February 1892. Duncan Munro was acquitted of the four murders on grounds of insanity - Only James Alexander had survived.

Hannah and Charles Chamberlain were bereaved of their son, Leonard Oswell Chamberlain who died on 26 August 1918, WW1 in France, aged 25yrs.

Charles Chamberlain died on 12 August 1920 at Paeroa, Waikato, aged 72 years.

Hannah Esther Chamberlain died on 21 June 1940 at Auckland, aged 88 years and was buried at the Waikumete Cemetery, Auckland, on 22 June 1940.

Sources

B M D of Freeman family; Immigration Records;

Chamberlain Family by John Edward Chamberlain (Hannah’s eldest son).

Oral Freeman family history.

Poverty Bay Herald, 25 May 1889.

Tauranga Local History, researched by Debbie Mc Cauley.

Note that Hannah’s relatives, who also signed the Petition at Napier were:-

Mrs A A Freeman, nee Charlotte Maud Carter, wife of Alexander Abercrombie Freeman – sheet 443;

Katie Freeman nee Reading, wife of George Henry Freeman – sheet 455.

Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.

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