Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Sarah Firth was born in 1857 in New Zealand – the daughter of Aaron Firth, a stone mason, and Ann Priestnall. (See 248 Mrs A Firth)
She married George Ross, a tram driver, in 1880 and they had eight children, one who appears to have died in infancy.
The family lived at Cobden where Sarah signed the suffrage petition.
In 1896 George died when a trolley load of logs overturned on the Three Mile mill tram line – he is buried in the Kararo Cemetery.
The owners of the steam riding gallery, a steam driven carousel, promised a day’s takings for a fund to help the family, a total of £33 was raised.
Some years later Sarah moved to Picton where she died on 2 March 1930 – she is buried in the Picton Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/