Thank You Barbara.
I guess a recap would be helpful.
Elizabeth Ann BALFOUR DAVIS - ENNIS.She led an exciting life to say the least. Her story has everything for a historical novel.
At age 21 she took herself by the boot-straps and sailed across vast distances, at one time becalmed for 16 days on an equatorial sea. Watched over by a tyrannical Matron, at the mercy of an unscrupulous captain and a sadistic doctor.
Not unassuming by any means, she was one of several women who had the captain charged with assault and wrote letters to the newspapers with scathing comments on the reporters, editors and local society in general.
She then set herself up as a dressmaker in Auckland advertising herself ready to make anything the local ladies might require.
After marrying and bearing four children, she for some reason took a dislike to her husband and Auckland society so migrated again, with the four children, an eight year old – a five year old – a three year old – a two year old and another on the way, to Australia.
My G-G-Grandfather finally caught up with her and carted her off to the goldfields where she had two more children while still working as a dressmaker.
She can’t have been an easy lady to live with however, because G-G-Grandfather divorced her in 1880. Mind you, there was a co-respondent in the case, so she probably wasn’t lonely.
Unfortunately I lost her at this stage, so her story remains unfinished.
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I can see Nichole Kidman in the part.
