Biography contributed by Nancy Carr
Birth Name: Kate Craven
Baptised: 7th November 1854 Leigh, Staffordshire, England in the parish of All Saints
Parents: Robert (Scotland 1809 - 1897 Staffordshire, England) and Elizabeth Craven (Hampton, Wick, Middlesex 1809 -?)
Kate was the youngest child of seven from a fairly wealthy farming family. At 17 she was working as an governess and later as a lady’s companion. Imigrating to New Zealand in 1883 on the ship Westland. Kate and her older sister Harriet lived in Otaki and later Whanganui. Kate was a dressmaker. The sisters were active in the Anglican church, and Melaneisian Mission. Both sisters signed the Women’s Suffrage Petition. Kate donated shirts to the Red Cross Fund for the Hospital Ship, June 1915.
On the 3rd of February 1942 Kate passed away at Ingestre St. and is buried at Aramoho Cemetry in Whanganui.
Sources
'England, Staffordshire, Church Records, 1538-1944', database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL3T-FLRS: 16 March 2018), Kate Craven, 1854
England and Wales Census, 1871
England and Wales Census, 1881
'New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973,' database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSTP-34Z: 10 August 2017), Kate Craven, 3 Oct 1883; citing ship Westland, Archives New Zealand, Wellington; FHL microfilm
NZ Electoral Rolls 1893,1896,1900
Otaki Historical Journal vol 1 page 60 and 61
Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20376, 8 June 1915
http://wdc.whanganui.govt.nz/online/cemetery/search.aspx
Images
Kate and Harriet Craven outside their house in Iti Street, Otaki. (Otaki Historical Journal)
Joint grave of Harriet and Kate Craven, Aramoho Cemetery, Whanganui (Nancy Carr)