Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Caroline Amy Wickens was born in London, England in 1843, the daughter of James Wickens, a painter and decorator, and Caroline Brown.
Caroline married William Timms, a labourer, in London in 1869. They had three children in London before they emigrated to Otago about 1874. They had a further seven children in New Zealand. Henry worked as a painter, but he was declared bankrupt in 1882 and again in 1888.
Caroline, also known as Amy, had opened a shop the previous year dealing in second hand or 'left off' clothing, advertising that 'ladies waited on at their own residence'.
Amy’s shop was still in operation in 1906 when she was issued with a second hand dealer’s licence.
William died in 1909 and Amy died on 9 February 1914. They are buried in the family grave in the Northern Cemetery, Dunedin.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Free BDM https://www.freebmd.org.uk
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz