Maker: Margaret Campion

Panel number: 283

Petition sheet number: 337

Person honouring: Agnes [Tannahill] Richards

Relationship to maker: Great-grandmother

Agnes Richards (born Tannahill) was musical, a great cook, loved her garden, and was warm-hearted, caring, hard-working, and brave.

Agnes was born in Taita, Hutt Valley in 1857 to Scottish parents, Elizabeth Dugald and William Tannahill. Elizabeth and had William arrived in New Zealand in February 1840. Their marriage on Petone beach was the third recorded wedding in Wellington.

Agnes was 29 when, in 1886, she married photographer Harry Richards in Wellington. His photographic studio was in Majoribanks Street.

When Harry died of throat cancer in 1889, Agnes was left with five small children to care for. She took in boarders and worked as a nurse for many years in Wellington and later in Wanganui, where she moved to be near her married daughters.

She was living in Wellington’s Majoribanks St when she signed he petition.

Agnes raised her granddaughter, Mollie Richards, from infancy through to her eventual marriage. Agnes dealt with many difficulties and much sadness. One son-in-law was killed during World War 1, leaving a small daughter born after his death. Her youngest son was killed at Le Quesnoy, France, at the very end of World War 1 and her eldest daughter Alice, died during the influenza epidemic.

After moving to Wanganui, the river became central to Agnes’ life. Agnes and Mollie walked everywhere, often along the river banks to visit family, or across the river to shops and the homes of people that Agnes nursed and cared for.

Agnes was 78 when she died in Wanganui in 1940.

Panel materials: Green linen for the backing was purchased; everything else, including the lace and calico, was old as were all the embroidery threads.