Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Nellie Pont was born in 1878 in New Zealand – the daughter of George Pont, a miner, and Eliza Adeline Henty. (See 144 Mrs G Pont)
Nellie appears to have signed the suffrage petition at an early age - only about 15 at the time and living at Colac Bay with her family.
She married William Thomas McEwan, a wharf labourer, in 1901.
They had six children, one who died in infancy, and they lived in Napier.
In 1931 William died due to an accident at work. Nellie sued his employers for £1000 – no compensation was paid.
Nellie died on 9 April 1965, she is buried with William in the Park Island Cemetery, Napier.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz