Makers: Andrea Holmes and Edith Curwood

Panel number: 313

Petition sheet number: 371

Person honouring: Helen Edwards

Relationship to makers: None

Helen was born to Helen Dick and William Hood (a tailor), in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1853. She was their youngest daughter.

Assisted by her two brothers, Helen joined two sisters in New Zealand, arriving in April 1875 on the William Davie.

In Dunedin she soon married William Edwards, pedestrian (marathon endurance / competitive walker and sometime hotel-keeper); Helen gave birth in Wellington in 1876 and 1877. Neither son survived.  

Helen was a French polisher.

With William she moved to Victoria, Australia in 1878. William continued to travel widely to competitive events; there are many reports of his dodgy dealings.

Life was challenging and in 1883 and in 1890 Helen sued William for support. By 1893 she had returned to New Zealand, and in Auckland gave birth to Leah Hamilton Edwards who soon died.

Helen moved to Wellington, received and spent a legacy from her sister, Margaret Hopkins in 1918–19, before she died in 1923.

Panel materials: All materials that we had. Old serviettes from grandparents, double-walled linen from a french top. Australian tree print and old tweed from trews.