George Pulman was born in Manchester on 21 January 1826 and Elizabeth Chadd was born in Lymm, Cheshire on 14 June 1836. George Pulman married his first wife, Mary Ellen Makinson, on 2 November 1851, and his second wife Elizabeth Chadd on 2 May 1859, following the death of Mary, some time between 1854 and 1857. There were two sons by the first marriage. In 1861 George and Elizabeth Pulman, with daughter Mary, emigrated to New Zealand. They had three more sons and a daughter.

In 1868 George Pulman was a draughtsman for the New Zealand Government. Pulman died in 1871. Between 1872 and 1894 'Pulman's Photographic Studio' was registered in Elizabeth Pulman's name. On 14 June 1875 Elizabeth Pulman married John Blackman. A son was born to them in 1878. John Blackman died in 1893. About this time the eldest son, Frederick, was a photographer. Elizabeth Blackman died on 3 February 1900.