Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Agnes Craig was born about 1825 in Scotland.
She married Thomas Alexander Donaldson, an agricultural labourer, on March 16th 1845 in St Ninians, Stirlingshire. They had 2 sons before they emigrated to South Australia in 1849 on the Harry Lorrequer.
They had a further 7 children in Australia before the family sailed for Otago in 1862 on the Alcyone – their last child was born the following year.
The family settled in North Otago. Thomas died in 1891 and when Agnes signed the suffrage petition she was living in Palmerston.
In July 1893 Agnes’ son John was ordered by the court to pay 4s per week for her support.
In 1899 he was charged with being £41 8s in arrears, and was given one month to pay before being imprisoned. Her son James was also £17 11s in arrears and was given a similar sentence.
In 1914 James was ordered to increase his contributions for maintenance.
Agnes died at Dunedin on November 11th 1918. She is buried in the Palmerston Cemetery.
Sources
Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions