Polson, Florence Ada Mary Lamb (1877–1941)

views updated

Polson, Florence Ada Mary Lamb (1877–1941)

New Zealand rural women's advocate and writer. Name variations: Florence Ada Mary Lamb Wilson; (pseudonyms) Martha, Columbine. Born Oct 4, 1877, at Aberfeldy, Victoria, Australia; died May 14, 1941, at Wanganui, New Zealand; dau. of John Alfred Wilson (merchant) and Martha Brown (Lamb) Wilson; m. William John Polson, 1910; children: 4.

Contributed to New Zealand Farmers' Advocate under pseudonyms, Martha and Columbine (1920s); wrote column, "Wives in Council," for Farmers' Weekly (1924); helped found women's division of New Zealand Farmers' Union, and advocated for rural women's rights, including establishing market system, Women's Exchange, in which women could sell farm produce; became justice of peace at Stratford (1931).

See also Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (Vol. 4).