Mrs Susannah Martinelli

Biographical information provided by Helen Smith for the He Tohu exhibition:

Susannah was born around 1841, the daughter of John Lethaby, a chimney sweep. In 1862 Susannah married an Italian sculptor named Angelo Briasco in Devon, England. They had Giovanni (1864-1879), Angelina (1869-), Joseph David (1872-), Mary Gertrude (1874-), and Angelo Antanio (1877-1914).

Susannah, a charwoman (or domestic cleaner) brought her children to Dunedin in 1876 on the Corona, where Angelo died in the same year. Three years later Susannah married Maurice Stocchini, and in 1880 gave birth to Maurice John, lost both husband and baby, and remarried to umbrella maker Andrew Martinelli. Susannah and Andrew had Anna Maria (1881-1881), Francis Constantine (1882-1916), Anna (1883-) and Mary Rosa (1884-1884). When Andrew died in 1892 Susannah carried on the umbrella business at 190 George St, Dunedin.

She died in 1920, aged 76.