Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Sophia Drake was born in 1873 in New Zealand — the daughter of John Drake, a brickmaker, and Ellen Brier.
The family lived, at first, in St Leonards, West Harbour, Dunedin later moving to Rothesay closer to Dunedin where Sophia signed the suffrage petition.
She married James Pearson in 1903 and they had three children.
James died at their home in Quarry Rd, Mosgiel near Dunedin in 1947 and Sophia died on 23 December 1953.
They are buried with their daughter in the East Taieri Cemetery.
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
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions