Jane Powell

Biography contributed by Lynne Dalley, nee Powell. Great grandaughter of Jane Powell.

Jane Powell, nee Reid, was born on 4 April 1851 at 109 Foyle St, Londonderry, Northern Ireland to David Glen Reid and Annie nee Robertson. Annie died in 1853 leaving David with five children. 

In 1855 he married Rosie, nee Gray, and they had five more children before they all left for NZ on the "Belgravia" in 1865. They had four more children after arriving in NZ. Jane was also known as Jean in NZ.

They all lived in Hawkes Bay, David serving with the Napier Military Settlers until he was wounded with a tomahawk and awarded the NZ War Medal. They then moved to Auckland before settling in Wellington where Jane married Justinian John Keverne Powell at the Wesleyan Church, Adelaide Rd, Newtown, Wellington on 18 April 1878. 

In their early married life they lived in Johnsonville where Justinian was on the Town Board and a contractor for the construction of the Wellington Manawatu railway line. The family then moved to Wellington city where Justinian owned several properties and was a grain, produce, coal and wood merchant. They lived in Ingestre St, later renamed Vivian St, and now Buller St, when Jane signed the Suffrage Petition in 1893. They had 10 children Alice, Constance, Justinian, Cyril, Lily, Ballington, Paisley, Emma, Leonard and Evelyn. They were members of the Wesleyan Church, Taranaki Street.

Justinian was later declared bankrupt and went off with another woman to Auckland where he died a pauper in 1935. Jane subsequently moved to live with various family members until she died in Silverstream Hospital on 28 Nov 1944, aged 93 and is buried in Karori Cemetery, Wellington.

Her death notice states "she was of a quiet, retiring deposition, retaining all her faculties right up to the time of her death. She was loved and respected by all who knew her."

Sources

Birth, Death and Marriage certificates

Ship Passenger Lists

Wises Directory

Signed twice. See also 423 Jane Powell