Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Harriet Eliza Gowan Frapwell was born in 1864 in Middlesex, London – the daughter of Haroch Frapwell, a tailor, and Barbara Louisa Gowan.
In 1873 Harriet, with her family, emigrated to Otago on the Surat. All was not plain sailing, as at 10pm on New Years Eve the ship struck a rock off Chasland’s Mistake in the Catlins. Most of the passengers were in bed at the time and after the ship began to leak the captain ran it ashore. All the passengers and crew were landed safely but they lost all their possessions.
On 30 November 1886 Harriet married Thomas Holgate, a printer, at the Mornington Wesleyan Church. They had no children.
Harriet was an active member of the church, being especially prominent in singing at church entertainments.
Thomas died in September 1918 and, one month later, Harriet advertised their house for sale. In April 1919 a furniture sale was advertised on behalf of Mrs Thomas Holgate (who is giving up housekeeping).
Harriet died in Christchurch on 13 April 1952. She is buried with her husband in the Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Free BDM https://www.freebmd.org.uk
NZ Yesteryears http://www.yesteryears.co.nz
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Victoria University http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz