Maker: Michelle Grinlinton-Hancock

Panel number: 120

Petition Sheet Number: 129

Person honouring: Harriet Holgate

Relationship to makers:

In 1873 Harriet, with her family, emigrated to Otago on the Surat. At 10pm on New Years Eve the ship struck a rock off Chasland’s Mistake in the Catlins. Most of the passengers were in bed at the time and after the ship began to leak the captain ran it ashore. All the passengers and crew were landed safely but they lost all their possessions.

Harriet Eliza Gowan Frapwell was born in 1864 in Middlesex, London - the daughter of Haroch Frapwell, a tailor, and Barbara Louisa Gowan. On 30 November 1886 Harriet married Thomas Holgate, a printer, at the Mornington Wesleyan Church. They had no children. 

Harriet was an active member of the church, being especially prominent in singing at church entertainments. Thomas died in September 1918 and,one month later, Harriet advertised their house for sale. In April 1919 a furniture sale was advertised on behalf of Mrs Thomas Holgate (who is giving up housekeeping). Harriet died in Christchurch on 13 April 1952. She is buried with her husband in the Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin

Panel materials: Linen tablecloth that my grandmother had started to embroider, and used threads in my thread stash to stitch the church, which is a depiction of the original Mornington Church which opened Sept 10, 1876.