Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Louisa Jones was born in 1864 in New Zealand – the daughter of Peter Jones, a labourer, and Emma Stutley. (See 80 Emma Jones)
She married Robert William Beckham, a baker, in 1886.
They had five children and lived in Milton where Robert was declared bankrupt in 1888. Robert was declared bankrupt again in 1892 after which the family moved to Mataura where Louisa signed the suffrage petition.
In 1894 Robert went to Preservation Inlet to work and left Louisa and the children without support. The court ordered him to pay maintenance - Robert responded by suing for divorce citing infidelity by Louisa and debating the parentage of their youngest child.
The divorce was granted in 1895.
Robert re-married the same year, he died in Orepuki in 1906 and is buried in the Orepuki Cemetery.
In 1897 Louisa was the subject of a maintenance case regarding her illegitimate child – both parties were found to be liable for support.
In 1903 Louisa was supporting her father in his old age, after his death that year she may have married. Her life after this is unclear.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Southland District Council https://www.southlanddc.govt.nz/