Ellen Penelope Jeffreys (12 February 1827 – 8 September 1904) was a New Zealand artist. She was born in Hummeripore,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

on 12 February 1827, where her father was a judge. She was one of six children of

William Henry Valpy William Henry Valpy (2 January 1793 – 25 September 1852) was a noted early settler of Dunedin, New Zealand. He is sometimes referred to locally as "The father of Saint Clair", as he was the first settler in the area now occupied by the suburb ...

and Caroline Valpy (born Jeffreys), a pioneer family which arrived in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

on board the ''Ajax'' in January 1849. Ellen married her cousin Henry Jeffreys in Dunedin in 1852, and the couple moved to Australia with their baby daughter, Caroline. However Caroline died in 1854 and Ellen returned to Dunedin in 1860, pregnant and bringing with her her infant son, Henry. The child, Edmond, was born six months after her return. Ellen moved to live in

Oamaru Oamaru (; mi, Te Oha-a-Maru) is the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, it is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is south of Timaru and north of Dunedin on the Pacific coast; State Highway 1 and the railway ...

while her sons grew up. Sadly, her elder son was hospitalised for mental instability and her younger son died of typhus, and Ellen later moved back to Dunedin to live with her sister

Catherine Fulton Catherine Henrietta Elliot Fulton (née Valpy, 19 December 1829 – 6 May 1919) was a New Zealand diarist, community leader, philanthropist, social reformer and suffragist. She was a founding member of the Dunedin chapter of Women's Christi ...

. In Dunedin, Ellen joined her sisters Catherine and Arabella Valpy in their charitable work, including establishing the Band of Hope Coffee Rooms. Her delicate water-colours of local Dunedin scenes are included in the collections of the

Hocken Collections Hocken Collections (, formerly the Hocken Library) is a research library, historical archive, and art gallery based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Its library collection, which is of national significance, is administered by the University of Otago. Th ...

and the

Otago Early Settlers Museum Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government regi ...

. They reflect the early influence of an Italian governess and drawing teacher, and of a year spent travelling in Europe with her family.

References

1827 births 1904 deaths New Zealand women painters Artists from Dunedin Valpy-Fulton-Jeffreys family 19th-century New Zealand painters 19th-century New Zealand women artists New Zealand watercolourists Women watercolorists {{NewZealand-painter-stub