See Notes for brother George Errey.

Elizabeth was an illegitimate child of John Newman. Her mother was probably one of Newman's housekeepers - he had several illegitimate children with at least 2 others, both before and after his wife Josephine returned to England, presumably in a justified huff.

Because of the lack of a birth record or other information, her mother is unknown, but suspected to be Jane Wood, primarily based on the fact that Elizabeth's first child was called John Wood Errey (there appears to be no other reason for using the unusual forename 'Wood'), and her second child was Jane. Jane Wood died single in 1855 aged 26, indicating that she was about 17 when Elizabeth was born. Her common name and lack of other information makes tracing her immigration and parentage difficult.

In her marriage to George Errey, she was shown as the daughter of John Newman, and married in Newman's family church in Woodville.

Elizabeth Catherine Newman's marriage to John Errey was illegal at the time but such marriages were relatively common, although sometimes kept semi-secret. This appears to be one of those 'silly laws' which were often ignored and where breaches went unprosecuted.

The English law allowed such marriages before 1835, although they were relatively easily annulled at the request of either party. From 1835 they were prohibited under English law, until marriage to a deceased wife's sister was legislated in 1907. Generally the Australian states followed English law, the main difference being the permitting of marriage to a deceased wife's sister from the 1870s (1893 in Victoria).

However, it wasn't until 1921 that marriage to a deceased husband's brother became legal in England. and 1925 in South Australia. It's interesting to note that the law was retrospective, making legal such marriages prior to this date.

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