Annie Elsom

She was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, the daughter of Elizabeth Martin and her husband, William Read. Read was a gardener, seedsman, florist and fern collector. The family later changed the spelling of their surname to Reid.^[2]

In 1897, when Elsom was 30, she moved to Christchurch and established a successful floristry business in High Street called A. & S. Reid.^[2][3][4]

In March 1902 she married Edwin Elsom, a seedsman.^[2][5]