Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Mary Isobel Gollaway was born about 1859 in Scotland.
She came to New Zealand about 1884 and she married David Kirkness, a butcher, in 1885.
They had five children and when Mary signed the suffrage petition the family were living in Duncan St, North East Valley, Dunedin.
David became ill and in May 1894 and 'an entertainment' was given in the North East Valley hall 'in aid of Mr D Kirkness, who has been incapacitated from work by a long and serious illness'. David died later that year in July.
Mary had a daughter in 1897 and she later moved to Mornington where she died at her home on 2 January 1911.
She is buried with David in the Southern Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
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