Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Marthy/Matty Tielle was born in 1866 in New Zealand – the daughter of Peter Tielle, a miner, and Margaret Nicholson.
Her parents appear to have parted company around this time as her father was convicted of bigamy the year she was born. He was sentenced to one year in prison but returned to the family later in life.
Martha married James Haining, a miner, in 1882 - they had seven children and when Martha signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Orepuki in Southland.
In 1902 James took over the running of the 'Tie On Hotel' at nearby Round Hill. In 1903 their youngest child was born and around this time Martha and James appear to have separated.
James stopped running the hotel in 1905 and that year he had a child with Margaret Grace Gray. They 'married' that year and had a further three children.
James died in Whanganui in 1941 and is buried in the Whanganui Cemetery.
Martha appears to have moved to Australia around this time where she 'married' Robert Hall.
She died on 26 September 1945 in Perth, Western Australia and is buried in the Karrakatta Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au
Archway http://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz
W A Cemeteries https://www2.mcb.wa.gov.au/
Whanganui District Council https://wdc.whanganui.govt.nz/