Maker: Hazel O'Brien

Panel number: 203

Petition sheet number: 246

Person honouring: Eliza Cox

Relationship to maker: Great-grandmother

Eliza Bromley was born in Old Windsor, England in October 1841, daughter of Eliza Smith and John Bromley.

Eliza married Jesse Cox, a gardener, in October 1866. In England Jesse had worked for Lady Hobson, wife of New Zealand’s first governor.

The couple sailed to New Zealand on the Lady Jocelyn, arriving in August 1872. The eldest two children, Harry and Emily, were born in England; one child (Jocelyn) on the ship. Five more children were born in New Zealand.

The family spent time in Jackson’s Bay, Westland, before moving to the North Island. Greymouth was where Eliza signed the 1893 petition and subsequently enrolled to vote. Jesse had been part of Richard Seddon’s election committee when he was first engaged in politics in the 1870s.

Both Eliza and Jesse were actively involved in the Methodist church in Palmerston North. They cared for the Cuba St building for nearly 30 years.  

Eliza died in Palmerston North in November 1921, aged 80. Jesse said in memorial: “We trod life’s journey together from 1866 to 1921. We have a sure and certain hope that we will meet again in the morning – to part no more.”

Jesse joined her at Terrace End cemetery in 1933, aged 92. 

Panel materials: Calico. Embroidery threads I had; the ‘antique’ lace was purchased new. Eliza’s photo was cropped from a group family photo – I used photoshop to mask the background. Photos of Eliza, and ship with NZ emblems, copied to iron-on transfer paper and carefully ironed on the banner.