Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Frances Jane Taylor was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England in 1846 – the daughter of John Taylor and Frances Lowe.
In 1864, in Gloucestershire, Frances married Alfred Lilly, an engine smith.
They had three children in England before they emigrated to Canterbury in 1875 on the Lady Jocelyn. Another seven children were born in New Zealand. One of their daughters, Frances Julia Lilly, also signed the suffrage petition.
The family first lived near Timaru before settling in Dunedin. They moved to Christchurch in the early 1900s. The family was musical and Frances was particularly interested in choir music.
Alfred died in Christchurch in 1913 and Frances died on 9 December 1914. They are buried together in the Linwood Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Free BDM https://www.freebmd.org.uk
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Christchurch City Council http://heritage.christchurchcitylibraries.com
