Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Nellie/Ellen Farrell was born about 1862 in Ireland.
She came to New Zealand and married Michael Rodden, a groom, in 1887.
They had 10 children and when Ellen signed the suffrage petition the family were living in St Andrew St, Dunedin.
In 1910 Michael was charged with 'failing to provide his wife and children with adequate means of support. Husband and wife had been separated for some years...you have 10 children, and yet you only allow £1 a week to keep them.' Michael was ordered to pay 15s a week for Ellen and 5s a week for the youngest child.
In 1919 Michael was again in court applying to have his maintenance order reduced, he was successful and the order was reduced from £1 to 10s per week.
1922 saw Michael charged with 'disobeying an order to maintain his child.' He was £10 7s 2d in arrears and was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, suspended so long as he paid 10s per month.
Ellen died in October 1927 in New Plymouth, she is buried in the Te Henui Cemetery.
Michael died in 1932 in Dunedin, he is buried in the Andersons Bay Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
New Plymouth District Council https://www.newplymouthnz.com/