Adelaide Hicks
Adelaide Hicks (née Martens, 6 March 1845 – 20 May 1930) was a New Zealand stewardess, homemaker, midwife and nurse. Early life Hicks was born in London, England, the daughter of a baker, George Martens, and his wife Elizabeth (née Joyner). She emigrated first to Australia and then to New Zealand, arriving in Otago in 1862. She initially worked as a domestic servant in Dunedin and then as a stewardess on the steam ships which ran between Invercargill, Bluff and Lyttelton. Adult life Hicks married Henry Hicks of New York in 1864 and they moved to Mosgiel. At the time of their marriage he was the owner of the New York tearooms in Bluff near Invercargill, however, he had previously worked as a crewman on vessels of various types. After their marriage, he returned to this work while Hicks took domestic work. In 1879 the couple moved to Dukes Road Taieri/Mosgiel area and set up a firewood business. In 1884 Hicks' husband was kicked while carelessly stabling a horse and died, leaving her with nine young children to raise. Two years later she moved her family to 16 Factory Road in Mosgiel and opened a maternity home, "Hicks' Maternity Home".