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202:. In 1884, aged 20, she married Harry Wells, the cathedral organist and choirmaster. Twelve years Ada's senior, with a violent temper and fondness for alcohol, he was a poor financial manager. Ada's marital experience â where she was, at times, the family breadwinner â strengthened her belief that women should have economic independence.
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Wells was a teacher at St. Albans School which was situated in a poor working class part of
Christchurch. With her husband's help, Ada put on concerts in aid of the school prize fund. In 1892, Ada, pregnant, sought two months' leave of absence. The North Canterbury Education Board was inclined to
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From 1899 to 1906, Ada was an elected member of the
Ashburton and North Canterbury United Charitable Aid Board. She was associated with the Prison Gate Mission for the rehabilitation of ex-prisoners. A founding member of the National Council of Women in 1896, she was the first secretary.
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She also campaigned for the corollary to women's suffrage, women's right to stand for
Parliament. This was granted in 1919, though no woman was elected until 1933. A member of the Labour Party, Ada was, between 1917 and 1919, the first woman member of the Christchurch City Council.
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was the public face of the WCTU NZ campaign for the enfranchisement of women, Ada was an organiser. In 1893 New
Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world in which all women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections.
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grant this. However, Ada was opposed by the headmaster, James
Speight, who wrote a long letter on 'the delinquencies of Mrs. Wells'. Rather than being granted leave of absence, Ada was dismissed.
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She had three daughters and a son. Harry Wells died in 1918. Ada died in
Christchurch on 22 March 1933 and was buried at the Waimairi Cemetery.
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As a member of the
National Peace Council, Ada spoke out strongly against conscription and war, and helped World War I
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179:, England. Her parents emigrated to New Zealand with their four girls and one boy in 1873, arriving on the
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activist. At the 1897 conference of the
National Council of Women, Wells promoted an
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in other parts of the country; for many years, she was president. In 1896 when the
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333:"All about Ada â Ada Wells, the first female elected to Christchurch City Council"
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The
Compassionate Contrarians: A History of Vegetarians in Aotearoa New Zealand
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in 1876, where she then worked as a pupil-teacher from 1877 to 1881.
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now offers an Ada Wells
Memorial Prize for Undergraduate Students.
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147:, 29 April 1863 â 22 March 1933) was an English-born New Zealand
549:"Ada Wells: First woman councillor outspoken in the peace cause"
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479:, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 17 July 2014.
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http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/womens-suffrage
626:Ministry for Culture and Heritage (11 April 2011).
274:diet. She authored magazine articles supportive of
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690:People educated at Christchurch West High School
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501:"Ada Wells: Christchurch City Council 1917â1919"
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211:Women's Christian Temperance Union New Zealand
422:"Rich man, poor man, environmentalist, thief"
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237:was formed, she became its first secretary.
266:Wells advocated a meatless diet and was a
119: 1884–1918)
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187:on 31 October of that year. She attended
235:National Council of Women of New Zealand
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468:'New Zealand women and the vote', URL:
695:New Zealand anti-vaccination activists
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400:An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand (1966)
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99:Educator, social activist, suffragist
700:New Zealand Labour Party politicians
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300:List of suffragists and suffragettes
710:New Zealand vegetarianism activists
526:Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
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370:Dictionary of New Zealand Biography
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16:New Zealand suffragette (1863â1933)
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606:Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
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375:Ministry for Culture and Heritage
249:Ministry for Culture and Heritage
229:, an organisation similar to the
213:(WCTU NZ), Ada was active in the
209:In the 1880s, working within the
685:English emigrants to New Zealand
670:New Zealand anti-vivisectionists
278:and vegetarianism. Wells was an
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310:Women's suffrage in New Zealand
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680:Christchurch City Councillors
426:Christchurch Public Libraries
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225:In 1892, Ada established the
193:Christchurch West High School
675:Burials at Waimairi Cemetery
305:Timeline of women's suffrage
227:Canterbury Women's Institute
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63:, South Oxfordshire, England
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505:Christchurch City Libraries
337:Christchurch City Libraries
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528:"Ada Wells Memorial Prize"
579:Amey, Catherine. (2014).
489:New Zealand Electoral Act
231:Women's Franchise Leagues
215:women's suffrage movement
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715:People from Christchurch
600:Grimshaw, Patricia Ann.
365:"Wells, Ada â Biography"
37:Ada Wells in early 1930s
705:New Zealand suffragists
475:3 November 2016 at the
261:conscientious objectors
171:Ada Pike was born near
583:. Rebel Press. p. 62.
455:13 August 2016 at the
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134:(great-granddaughter)
272:ovo-lacto vegetarian
459:, NZ History Online
363:Fogarty, Philippa.
280:anti-vaccinationist
553:Voices Against War
396:"Choral Societies"
200:Canterbury College
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91:Canterbury College
634:on 13 August 2016
589:978-0-473-27440-5
177:South Oxfordshire
167:Ada Wells c. 1910
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198:Wells attended
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132:Rachel McAlpine
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636:. Retrieved
632:the original
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602:"Wells, Ada"
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380:11 September
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343:17 September
341:. Retrieved
339:. 2 May 2017
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80:Christchurch
74:(1933-03-22)
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665:1933 deaths
660:1863 births
628:"Ada Wells"
450:"Ada Wells"
284:vivisection
276:naturopathy
109:Harry Wells
654:Categories
316:References
53:1863-04-29
185:Lyttelton
159:Biography
141:Ada Wells
128:Relatives
123:his death
25:Ada Wells
638:17 April
611:17 April
533:17 April
473:Archived
453:Archived
402:. Te Ara
294:See also
255:Activism
217:. While
149:feminist
47:Ada Pike
558:11 July
511:11 July
432:11 July
406:11 July
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181:Merope
104:Spouse
507:. CCC
428:. CCC
143:(nÊe
115:(
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640:2011
613:2011
585:ISBN
560:2017
535:2011
513:2017
434:2017
408:2017
382:2011
345:2017
247:The
151:and
145:Pike
69:Died
43:Born
183:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
