Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Laura Ann Woodhill was born in 1869 in Ilmington, Warwickshire, England – the daughter of Thomas Woodhill, a shepherd, and Elizabeth Best Hawkins. (See 80 Elizabeth Woodhill)
She emigrated to Otago in 1877 on the James Nicol Fleming with her family and they settled in the Tokomairiro district.
When Laura signed the suffrage petition she was living with her family in Milton.
Laura married Herbert Lory, a miner, in April 1894 in Milton. 'Both the contracting parties are members of the Salvation Army, the young lady having been a prominent member of the local corps for some time, while the bridegroom is a member of the northern corps.'
They lived in Livingstone in North Otago and had six children.
Laura died at Oamaru on 10 October 1941 – her obituary said she 'endeared herself to all who knew her for her kindness of heart, and wise and helpful counsel. She took a keen interest in church and school work, the W.D.F.U., of which she was a past president, and every good work in the district. She gave outstanding service in patriotic work, both in the Great War and in the present conflict.'
Herbert died in 1950, they are buried together in the Oamaru Old Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Waitaki District Council https://www.waitaki.govt.nz/
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions