Talk:Frances Rutherford

Update: family history and occupational therapy

Thanks to Women from New Zealand edit-a-thon in 2017 for creating an entry for Frances Moran Rutherford.

Updated the biography by 1) adding details of her family history and 'evidencing' her relationship to Ernest Rutherford, see below and 2) expanding the information about her notable contributions to occupational therapy.

The citations are mainly from the digital archive for New Zealand newspapers. Unable to access the New Zealand Occupational Therapy Journal which is likely to contain relevant information - so more to do. Occupational Therapy History Matters (talk) 11:46, 6 February 2024 (UTC)


 * Sorry, unable to correct error in references.
 * In Edit view - the citations 1 to 20 are correct in the text and reference list.
 * In the Article view - they are wrong, reference 1 is missing in the introductory statement.  It is a citation from the 2017 edit and no longer needed, but I couldn't delete it - because if doesn't appear in the Edit view.
 * Strange, but true. Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks.  Occupational Therapy History Matters (talk) 11:54, 6 February 2024 (UTC)

Family history

Rutherford was a descendant of early British settlers in New Zealand and the first cousin, once removed, of Ernest Rutherford, the nuclear physicist.

Her great grandparents George Rutherford (1804-1876) and Mary Rutherford, nee Adie (1807-1877) arrived in Nelson in 1843, two years after New Zealand became a colony within the British Empire. They had three daughters and six sons including James Rutherford (abt. 1839-1928) and William James Rutherford (1848-1935). James Rutherford was born in Dundee. He married Martha Thompson (abt. 1842-1935) in 1866 and they had had twelve children, including Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937). William James Rutherford was born in Nelson. In 1874 he married Emma Louisa Kearns (1876-1963). They had four daughters and four sons, including Charles William Rutherford (1876-1963). He was Frances Moran Rutherford’s father. Charles William Rutherford was ‘the uncle of Lord Rutherford, the eminent scientist’ making Rutherford the first cousin, once removed of Ernest Rutherford.

— Preceding unsigned comment added by Occupational Therapy History Matters (talk • contribs) 15:51, 9 February 2024 (UTC)