Amelia O’Toole (nee Longuet Levy), was born on 20 April 1843 at 35 Camomile Street, Bishopgate in the district of St Botolph, London, England. Her parents were Amelia (nee Gregory) and Lewis Longuet Levy, a merchant.
Amelia travelled with her parents, sister Lydia and brothers Lewis and Walter to New Zealand on board Ajax, sailing from London on 8 September 1848, arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago on 8 January 1849. The family settled for eight years in Purakanui and in 1859 moved to Bluff where her father, Lewis Longuet Levy, ran a general merchants store.
On 28 August 1860 Amelia married Christopher Francis De Salis O’Toole, Bluff Custom House Officer. The marriage took place at the Invercargill Registry Office. They had a family of seven children; Francis Desmond (1862–1941), Thomas D’Arcy (1863–1912), Arthur De Salis (1866–1941), Louis Dillon (1867–1943), Walter Bert (1870–1958), Amelia Emily (1872–1950), and Cyril Ernest (1881–1957).
Amelia’s husband died on 24 November 1881 when their youngest child was only nine months old. Amelia died on 25 December 1925, aged 82 and is buried in the Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill.
Amelia was living in North Road, Gladstone, Invercargill when she signed the petition. Her mother, Amelia Longuet of Invercargill, also signed the petition.
Biography contributed by Cheryl Fowler (2nd great granddaughter)
Sources
- Birth, Marriage and Death certificates
- Passenger arrivals at Port Chalmers, New Zealand 1848 – 1851 http://www.ngaiopress.com
- Hall-Jones, F. G. Invercargill Pioneers. Invercargill, Southland Historical Society Committee, 1946
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
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