suffrage_petition
Surname: 
Aitcheson
Given names: 
Lydia
Given address: 
Waikouaiti
Sheet No: 91
Town/Suburb: 
Waikouaiti
City/Region: 
Otago
Notes: 

Biographical information provided by Kate Potter for the He Tohu exhibition:

Lydia Harper was born around 1836 in Scotland and married John Aitcheson on May 25 1860. One week later the pair boarded the Robert Henderson in Glasgow, bound for Otago. The boat arrived on 2 September but was quarantined for seven days due to an outbreak of scarlet fever en route. Lydia and John’s daughter Lydia was born on 6 September while the boat was still in quarantine.

After settling in Waikouaiti, the couple had five more children, all boys:  John, Thomas, Archibald, William, and Alexander.

Lydia died on 12 February, 1913, aged 78. A year later her daughter Lydia placed the following poem in the In Memoriam pages of the Otago Daily Times: 'I mourn for you, dear mother, but not with outward show. For those who grieve sincerely, mourn silently and low'.

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

1 comment has been posted about Lydia Aitcheson

What do you know?

Elaine Aitcheson

Posted: 18 Feb 2018

Lydia and John Aitcheson had seven sons. Not listed in your information are James and Edward.