Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Harriet Helen Shewan Irvine was born about 1854 in South Leith, Edinburghshire, Scotland – the daughter of Robert Irvine and Margaret Shewan. (See 248 Mrs Pridgeon)
In the 1861 census Harriet is living with her mother’s parents. Sometime after this she emigrated to New Zealand where she married James Tait, a mariner, in 1886.
They had seven children and when Harriet signed the suffrage petition they were living in Cobden and James was second mate of the steamer Herald that ran between Dunedin and the West Coast.
The family moved to Timaru in 1897 as James wanted a job where he could live on shore.
He initially worked as master of the dredge Timaru and assistant pilot to the harbour master – ten years later he was appointed as harbourmaster.
James died in 1917 – at the time of his death two of their sons were on active service and their youngest son was training at Trentham Camp.
Harriet died on 12 May 1928 at her son’s home in Christchurch – she is buried with James in the Timaru Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/