Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Emily Shrimplin was born in 1844 in Flegg, Norfolk – the daughter of William Shrimplin, an agricultural labourer, and Mary Newman.
She married Harry Earley, a labourer, on January 5th 1871 in the parish church in Barnett, Surrey.
They had a son later that year and soon after they emigrated to New Zealand.
They had a further 3 sons after their arrival, one who died in infancy. When Emily signed the suffrage petition they were living in Palmerston and Harry was working as a railway ganger.
In 1899 Harry petitioned Parliament for compensation for an injury he obtained at work. In 1904 he was awarded £50.
Harry died at Dunedin Hospital in 1917 and Emily died on September 9th 1924 at her son’s home in Palmerston. They are buried together in the Palmerston Cemetery.
