Biographical information provided by Flora Feltham, Alexander Turnbull Library, for the He Tohu exhibition:
Sarah Lewis Robinson was the eldest daughter of Hannah and Robert Robinson. She was born in late 1863 or early 1864 but likely not in New Zealand. Her brother Francis Lyttelton Robinson was born in 1865, which may suggest the family immigrated while Sarah was a baby. Sarah never married and worked as a teacher, including at Waddington School. She was headmistress of Phillipstown School from 1891-1918. Sarah died in 1950 and is buried in Avonside, Christchurch.
Two other Swann’s Road Robinsons signed the petition: H. Robinson and E. Robinson. They may have been Sarah’s sisters, Emma Alice and Hannah, or possibly her mother.
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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