Arabella Valpy (1833 – 18 January 1910) 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 that emigrated from Britain to

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 ...

, New Zealand, in January 1849 aboard the ''Ajax''. Arabella was born in West Bengal, India, where her father was a judge. Valpy is remembered for inviting General William Booth to New Zealand to introduce

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...

to the colony. She wrote to him in April 1882, including a bank draft for two hundred pounds to cover costs, and in November 1882 two officers were sent to New Zealand to found the Salvation Army. She established the Band of Hope Coffee Rooms with her sisters

Ellen Penelope Jeffreys Ellen Penelope Jeffreys (12 February 1827 – 8 September 1904) was a New Zealand artist. She was born in Hummeripore, India on 12 February 1827, where her father was a judge. She was one of six children of William Henry Valpy and Caroline V ...

and Catherine Valpy and also used her own money to hire a building in Dunedin for a Sailors' Coffee Room, which she ran herself. Valpy supported the passing of the Electoral Act 1893, which extended suffrage to women and signed the petition to Parliament asking for the vote to be extended to women.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valpy, Arabella People from Dunedin New Zealand Salvationists 1833 births 1910 deaths Valpy-Fulton-Jeffreys family New Zealand suffragists People from West Bengal 19th-century New Zealand people 19th-century Methodists