Mary Ann Littlejohn

Biographical information provided by Stefanie Lash, Archives New Zealand, for the He Tohu exhibition:

This is the signature of Mary Ann Littlejohn, who was born Mary Ann Howard Oke in 1867 in South Hole, Devon. She worked as a servant in England before emigrating to Australia, arriving in Brisbane in 1889. She travelled with her brother Walter Howard Oke, both on the assisted migration travel scheme.

She met and married George Lewis William Littlejohn the next year, aged 23. Their first son was born in Australia, and by 1893 they had moved to New Zealand, as she signed the Women’s Suffrage Petition that year. Their second son Walter Lewis was born in 1895.

They lived on Grey Street in Auckland, and later on Canada Street.

Mary Ann died in 1916, not living to see her son Walter return safely from the Great War.