Makers: Jill Bowman and Alison Jarden

Panel number: 210

Petition sheet number: 253

Person honouring: Sarah Judson

Relationship to makers: Great-great-grandmother

Sarah George was a builder.

She was born in June 1827 and married farm labourer William Judson in 1847, at Waltham-on-the-Wolds in Leicestershire.

A letter from William’s younger brother, already in New Zealand, persuaded Sarah and William to leave England and join them.

They emigrated on the Clontarf in 1859 with their five children; their youngest, Martha, died on the voyage. It was a terrible four-month journey – violent storms, a fire, diphtheria, and measles. Another child, Sarah Ann, was nearly thrown overboard as dead, but the captain gave in to Sarah’s pleas that her daughter was still alive – the material she was wrapped in had moved. Sarah Ann recovered although she was never robust.

The family settled in Woodend, Canterbury, initially with William’s brother and the dinner set Sarah had brought – pieces of this have stayed in the family.

William worked as a clerk in a lawyer’s office in Christchurch during the week, walking to work on Monday and returning on Friday. Sarah remained in Woodend – making clay blocks for their cob cottage. They had five more children, giving the family a fine workforce.

Sarah was 66 when she signed the suffrage petition. She was listed as a farmer in the 1893 and 1896 electoral rolls.

When she died in 1907, Sarah was 80.

Sarah had a strong, even stern influence within her family. It is told that, on one hot Sunday morning when the harvest was ripe and a warm norwester was blowing, the men started harvesting. When Sarah heard them, she went to where they were working and told them she would not prepare any meals that day if they carried on working on the Sunday. However, the family all grew up fond of a bit of fun.

Panel materials: Antique linen, silk organza, tatted doily. Doily from Vinnies; had the other fabrics.