Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Harriet Tall was born in Victoria, Australia in 1857 – the daughter of Stephen Tall, a master mariner, and Martha Leeds.
She came to New Zealand with her family in the 1860s and they settled in Dunedin.
Harriet married, builder, Henry Tattersfield on 10 July 1877 in St Paul’s Church in Dunedin.
They had eight children before they separated around 1890.
Harriet had left Henry 'in consequence of his treatment of her, and was living with her mother'. In that year Henry was 'charged with willfully damaging a door' belonging to Harriet’s mother when he tried to get into the house. He was found guilty.
After this Henry appears to have moved to the North Island – he died in Wanganui in 1928 and is buried in the Aramoho Cemetery.
When Harriet signed the suffrage petition, she was living in Great King St, Dunedin working as a dressmaker.
She died at her daughter’s home in Dunedin on 7 July 1935 and she is buried in the family grave in the Northern Cemetery.