Eliza Grey's father purchased the Government Farm, and she resided there with her parents, seven brothers and two sisters.
16 Facts About Eliza Grey
1.
2.
George and Eliza Grey married on 2 November 1839 at the farm after a brief courtship.
3.
Eliza Grey amassed a sizeable collection of artefacts in Australia and New Zealand.
4.
Eliza Grey spent the next few years travelling widely throughout New Zealand inspecting the new Colony and ascertaining the exact political situation at a time when tensions were increasing between the settlers and the Maori.
5.
Eliza Grey slowly replaced a lot of the destroyed New Zealand material in his collections.
6.
George accused Eliza Grey of flirting with the ship's captain, Admiral Henry Keppel.
7.
The boat was quickly turned around and the disgraced Eliza Grey was left ashore at Rio de Janeiro.
8.
George Grey and his wife Eliza had an unhappy marriage; it seems plain that they were simply ill-suited to each other.
9.
Eliza Grey was simply unprepared for the reality that his wife's personality and youth was not going to live up to his high expectations.
10.
Eliza Grey's meteoric rise through the colonial service contributed to the rumours that his real father was in fact Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn or one of the other Royal Dukes, explaining the favouritism shown to him by Victoria.
11.
Eliza Grey was very possibly innocent of any real indiscretion, but it is impossible to know the truth.
12.
Eliza Grey was noted for never mentioning her name for the period of their separation, a fact which rather speaks to his inflexible nature.
13.
Eliza Grey continued his political career in New Zealand, and remarkably, transitioned from the role of Governor to that of Premier, continuing to play a pivotal role in the formation of the country.
14.
Eliza Grey converted to the Roman Catholic Church and it was said she became very religious in her later years, devoting much time and energy to charitable works.
15.
In 1894, Eliza Grey returned to England and was made a Privy Councilor to the Queen.
16.
Eliza Grey took an interest in all that he did, and especially did all she could for the native races of New Zealand and South Africa.